The Source of Power

Man’s brain, body, mind, faculties, and talents are the mere instruments he uses in demonstrating greatness; in themselves they do not make him great. A man may have a large brain and a good mind, strong faculties, and brilliant talents, and yet he is not a great man unless he uses all these in a great way. That quality which enables man to use his abilities in a great way makes him great; and to that quality we give the name of wisdom. Wisdom is the essential basis of greatness.

A person’s brain, body, mind, abilities, and talents are only tools for showing greatness. These tools do not make a person great on their own. A person may have a large brain, a good mind, strong abilities, and brilliant talents. Yet that person is not great unless they use all these gifts in a great way. The quality that enables a person to use their abilities in a great way makes them great. We call that quality wisdom. Wisdom is the essential foundation of greatness.

Wisdom is the power to perceive the best ends to aim at and the best means for reaching those ends. It is the power to perceive the right thing to do. The man who is wise enough to know the right thing to do, who is good enough to wish to do only the right thing, and who is able and strong enough to do the right thing is a truly great man. He will instantly become marked as a personality of power in any community and men will delight to do him honor.

Wisdom is the ability to see the best goals to pursue and the best ways to reach them. It is the ability to see the right thing to do. A truly great man is wise enough to know what is right. He is also good enough to want to do only what is right, and capable and strong enough to act. Any community will immediately recognize him as a powerful figure, and people will gladly honor him.

Wisdom is dependent upon knowledge. Where there is complete ignorance there can be no wisdom, no knowledge of the right thing to do. Man’s knowledge is comparatively limited and so his wisdom must be small, unless he can connect his mind with a knowledge greater than his own and draw from it, by inspiration, the wisdom that his own limitations deny him. This he can do; this is what the really great men and women have done. Man’s knowledge is limited and uncertain; therefore he cannot have wisdom in himself.

Wisdom depends on knowledge. Where there is complete ignorance, there can be no wisdom, no knowledge of the right thing to do. Human knowledge is relatively limited, so our wisdom must be small unless we can connect our minds to greater knowledge. Through inspiration, we can draw from that greater knowledge the wisdom our own limitations keep from us. We can make this connection. Truly great men and women have done so. Human knowledge is limited and uncertain, so we cannot find wisdom within ourselves alone.

Only God knows all truth; therefore only God can have real wisdom or know the right thing to do at all times, and man can receive wisdom from God. I proceed to give an illustration: Abraham Lincoln had limited education; but he had the power to perceive truth. In Lincoln we see pre-eminently apparent the fact that real wisdom consists in knowing the right thing to do at all times and under all circumstances; in having the will to do the right thing, and in having talent and ability enough to be competent and able to do the right thing. Back in the days of the abolition agitation, and during the compromise period, when all other men were more or less confused as to what was right or as to what ought to be done, Lincoln was never uncertain. He saw through the superficial arguments of the pro-slavery men; he saw, also, the impracticability and fanaticism of the abolitionists; he saw the right ends to aim at and he saw the best means to attain those ends. It was because men recognized that he perceived truth and knew the right thing to do that they made him president. Any man who develops the power to perceive truth, and who can show that he always knows the right thing to do and that he can be trusted to do the right thing, will be honored. and advanced; the whole world is looking eagerly for such men.

Only God knows all truth. Therefore, only God can have true wisdom or know the right thing to do at all times. And people can receive wisdom from God. Let me give an example: Abraham Lincoln had little formal education, but he had the ability to recognize truth. Lincoln shows especially clearly that true wisdom means knowing the right thing to do at all times, under all circumstances. It also means having the will to do what is right, and enough talent and ability to do it. During the anti-slavery campaigns and the period of compromise, all other men were more or less confused. They were unsure about what was right or what should be done, but Lincoln was never uncertain. He saw through the shallow arguments of those who supported slavery. He also saw the abolitionists’ impracticality and fanaticism. He saw the right goals to pursue and the best ways to reach those goals. People made him president because they recognized that he saw the truth and knew the right thing to do. Any man who develops the ability to recognize truth will be honored and promoted if he demonstrates two things. He must show that he always knows the right thing to do and can be trusted to do it. The whole world is eagerly looking for such men.

When Lincoln became president he was surrounded by a multitude of so-called able advisers, hardly any two of whom were agreed. At times they were all opposed to his policies; at times almost the whole North was opposed to what he proposed to do. But he saw the truth when others were misled by appearances; his judgment was seldom or never wrong. He was at once the ablest statesman and the best soldier of the period. Where did he, a comparatively unlearned man, get this wisdom? It was not due to some peculiar formation of his skull or to some fineness of texture of his brain. It was not due to some physical characteristic. It was not even a quality of mind due to superior reasoning power. Knowledge of truth is not often reached by the processes of reason. It was due to a spiritual insight. He perceived truth, but where did he perceive it and whence did the perception come? We see something similar in Washington, whose faith and courage, due to his perception of truth, held the colonies together during the long and often apparently hopeless struggle of the Revolution. We see something of the same thing in the phenomenal genius of Napoleon, who always knew, in military matters, the best means to adopt. We see that the greatness of Napoleon was in nature rather than in Napoleon, and we discover back of Washington and Lincoln something greater than either Washington or Lincoln. We see the same thing in all great men and women. They perceive truth; but truth cannot be perceived until it exists; and there can be no truth until there is a mind to perceive it. Truth does not exist apart from mind. Washington and Lincoln were in touch and communication with a mind which knew all knowledge and contained all truth. So of all who manifest wisdom.

When Lincoln became president, he was surrounded by many so-called capable advisers. Hardly any two of them agreed. At times, all his advisers opposed his policies. At other times, almost the whole North opposed what he proposed to do. But he saw the truth when others were misled by appearances. His judgment was seldom, if ever, wrong. He was both the most capable statesman and the best soldier of his time. Where did Lincoln, a man with relatively little education, get this wisdom? His wisdom did not come from any unusual shape of his skull or any unusually fine texture of his brain. It did not come from any physical characteristic. Nor was his wisdom a mental quality that came from superior reasoning power. We do not often reach knowledge of truth through reasoning. His wisdom came from spiritual insight. He perceived truth, but where did he perceive it, and where did that perception come from? We see something similar in Washington. His faith and courage came from his perception of truth. That faith and courage held the colonies together during the Revolution’s long and often seemingly hopeless struggle. We see something similar in Napoleon’s extraordinary genius. In military matters, he always knew the best course to take. We see that Napoleon’s greatness lay in nature rather than in Napoleon himself. And we discover something greater than either Washington or Lincoln behind both men. We see the same thing in all great men and women. They perceive truth, but truth cannot be perceived until it exists. And there can be no truth until there is a mind to perceive it. Truth does not exist apart from mind. Washington and Lincoln were in contact and communication with a mind that knew everything and contained all truth. The same is true of everyone who shows wisdom.

Wisdom is obtained by reading the mind of God.

Wisdom comes from reading God's mind.