Train Wreck

Proverbs 17:12

      There is a force in nature that no one wants to confront: a mother whose baby has just been stolen. You can mess with me, but don’t try to mess with my kids. You will have a fight on your hands. There a few instincts that the LORD placed in us that is stronger than this one. And there are few animals that are scarier than a bear in this situation.

      But the writer of this proverb says that confronting this mother bear is better than confronting a fool who is going to do something stupid no matter what. As Forrest Gump stated, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Just as you can’t stop the bear, and you can’t reason with a bear, so it is with a fool. They just won’t be stopped. Their nature is to rebel against God’s authority.

      But before we get too proud, we all used to be fools. Before the Holy Spirit quickened us, we were just as lost as they are. We were spiritually stupid. We would argue our strange theology, even when its inconsistencies were obvious to everyone. Fools don’t care. They stick with what they know, even when faced with the facts.

      Sometimes you just have to move out of the way and let the fool stumble. So many spouses of alcoholics keep rescuing their drunk. Instead of letting them face the natural consequences and having the opportunity to learn from the pain of the fall, they stop the natural learning process. They learn the lesson, but the drunk doesn’t. Unfortunately, when the drunk finally learns the lesson, the whole family has been through so much pain that it is often very difficult to recover. If you know someone who is starting this cycle, help them let the drunk fall sooner rather than later. The longer the rescuing lasts, the slower the recovery process and the harder the fall.

      This applies to drugs and many other addictive behaviors like porn, gambling and rage. Make it painful sooner rather than later. If you are going to have to start over, better to do it sooner rather than later. Don’t be part of the train wreck. Unhook you car.

Indiscretion V Folly

Proverbs 13:15-16

The news has been filled with stories of three politicians who should have heeded the advice of these verses. Talk about exposing your folly! Naked pictures of yourself sent by phone. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

And the sad thing is that our society, or at least a large chunk of our society, accepts this kind of behavior. They will probably win their elections and these stories will fade into the background as the next scandal hits.

It is easy to point our fingers at public figures like politicians, sports figures, or those in the entertainment industry. But these two proverbs are written to us for our benefit. We need to remember this. The LORD wants to speak to us. He wants us to change.

Are we exercising good judgment? Are we doing what is best even if it isn’t convenient? And are we doing it consistently? If we are then over time there will be a payoff. We win favor over time. Our reputation and character begin to speak for themselves.

People who don’t exercise good judgment will over time get the negative consequences of their actions. Notice that their way leads to their destruction. This process isn’t instantaneous. There are often many small steps between the first turn and their final end. At any point they could have chosen to turn around and chosen to walk a different path. One choice doesn’t determine the outcome. One step off the path doesn’t prevent a return. But repeated choices make it more difficult to return.

Verse sixteen tells us that those who think about and plan for the future (prudence) act with knowledge. This kind of future focus of life and actions brings about long range gains. Each decision needs to be a conscious choice. No autopilot living allowed here.

Live with an eye toward eternity. Make your decisions thinking how this will affect your eternity. Stop for a few moments and think! Fools just act.

Often the difference between a fool and someone who acts wisely is the habit of stopping to think before acting. The wise person thinks about the consequences before acting. How much stopping do you do?