Brilliant!

What comes to mind when you think about brilliance?    A person?  A scientific discovery?   A two carat diamond?  I have a friend in the UK that refers to everything as brilliant!  “I took the dog for a walk today,”  I’ll casually comment.  “Oh!  That’s brilliant,”  she’ll say.   Seems the Brits have a different definition of brilliant than we,  or perhaps they are just perpetually enthusiastic?

I used to think brilliance was innate, meaning we were born with it.  I have since come to the conclusion that brilliance is subjective.   In the eye of the beholder if you will.

So…if we are not born with a 180 IQ,  can brilliance be developed?  I submit yes.  There is a way to open the brilliance spigot because when we were created,  we were not created to waste a single cell, atom, neuron, or synapse.   You and I were fearfully, wonderfully and elaborately made.

Jen Sincero and Laurie Beth Jones are brilliant writers by my definition.  Alan Dershowitz’s brilliance shows up in his interpretation of the law.  Mary Oliver is a brilliant poet.   Warren Buffet has proven his brilliance at making mucho dinero.

Many would say the late Stephen Hawking was brilliant, perhaps even genius.   He was obviously gifted with a higher capacity to comprehend than the average super-brain. I’ve often wondered if his intellectual aptitude was enhanced due to the physical limitations he experienced.   Similar to when we lose a sense such as hearing or vision and the other senses compensate.    With his physicality impeded,  did his intellect ramp up?

But riddle me this.  How could someone who clearly had remarkable proficiency concerning  science and mathematics negate the reality of a higher power?    Hawking studied the universe for fifty years and came to the conclusion there was no God.   How could a “genius” not consider giving equal credence to the spiritual, physical and meta-physical and marry these cognitions in the thousands of hours he studied theoretical physics?    Wouldn’t a brilliant mind at least consider the possibility that Someone or something larger than his comprehension could have designed all this?

By its very definition, the word brilliant refers to a striking, distinctive brightness.  It originates from the Italian word brillare which means – to sparkle.    Therefore,  is it possible to be brilliant without incorporating the Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit – who knows all?   Nah – don’t think so.

I submit that without the wisdom of God and corresponding illumination of the Holy Spirit,  we are merely accumulating facts that man may define as brilliant,  but in God’s scheme pale, because God’s input and impartation is what makes brilliance – well, brilliant.

So how do we recognize brilliance?   Brilliant people shine a light beyond themselves….and this light extends to those in their sphere.  Can a child with Down’s Syndrome be considered brilliant?  Or a veteran struggling with PTSD?  How about a butcher, baker or candlestick maker?   Um…yep.   Because their brilliance is not evidenced by intellect, but by light.   It isn’t about IQ or EQ or any other Q.  It is about the life and light of Christ within that shines out.   Jesus referred to Himself as the light of the world.   How can we BE a light without connection to the source OF the light?   How can we be brilliant without help from an almighty Flint?   His brilliance has not,  is not, nor ever will be – extinguished.

There are lots of brainiacs resting on their intellectual laurels.   But without the source of all wisdom and genius,  their “brilliance” will soon fade.   In a fifty years or less,  Hawking will be a virtual unknown.  Very few will care about the contribution he made to science during his short stint here on planet Earth, because his work will be considered antiquated theory.   But the Alpha and Omega will still be illuminating men.    Wanna increase your brain power and put the 90% of gray matter going unused to use?      Tap into the Source of all brilliance.  All light.  All wisdom. All knowledge and truth.

As Proverb 13:20 states:  ” He that walks with wise men shall be wise.”  Perhaps if we walk long and far enough with Wisdom,   we will not only become wise – but BRILLIANT!