Skip to main content

Simple, Mockers, and Fools

 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? (Proverbs 2:20-22)

 

          The first thought as I read this passage was that I have spent too much time in the past week or so dealing with a mocker. I suspect I tend to give my time too often to the simple, the mocker, and the fool. It seems hateful to me to pin the simple, mocker, or fool label on someone and walk away with my nose in the air until or unless I’ve given them ample opportunity to turn from their simplicity, mockery, or foolishness. After all, I know people who think I’m one or more of those three, and it seems to me their delight to pin labels on me. That doesn’t usually bother me much, but I can spend hours going back and forth with someone, knowing that getting through to them would require a miracle for which I could be inducted into Catholic Sainthood, even though I’m not Catholic.

          It’s amazing how easy it is to throw wisdom out the window. We’re supposed to be loving, so wisdom goes in the trash. We’re supposed to be kind so who cares about wisdom? We’re supposed to be patient, so what does it matter if we keep playing someone else’s game? We’re supposed to be Christians so we feel obligated to take abuse, because maybe it’ll make a difference?

          I think I need to be wiser in dealing with people, especially those who are demonstrated themselves to be mockers and fools. It seems to me that there are steps to the process:

1)    Pray for discernment to know whether someone will actually benefit from the information – or is just begging for attention.

2)    Set a reasonable limit during which the discernment is to be made.

3)    Set a reasonable limit on the time spent “feeding” attention seekers.

4)    Figure out a good way to withdraw from the conversation that closes the door on the nonsense while still leaving the door open in the event the attention-seekers actually seek wisdom.

And perhaps the best thing I’ve gotten out of writing this is the realization that the people with whom I’ve wasted my time are attention-seekers and mockers who try to take advantage of my being "nice" enough to give them attention.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more