Today’s passage is Proverbs 12:15-28. Fools, reckless people, liars and evil doers all cause trouble for themselves and others. God doesn’t like their behavior. The wise and the prudent take advice, tell the truth, speak kind words, seek peace, and do not thoughtlessly blurt whatever they know.
Do you pridefully go your own way, arrogantly convinced you know best?
Do you thoughtlessly say whatever pops into your head, quick to insult, careless of its effect on others?
Are you idle with frivolous distractions like those that abound on the internet or are you diligent in attending to your study, to prayer, to the needs of your family and spiritual community?
When I was a child, there was a TV program called Father Knows Best.
It was about a middle class family with all the usual problems that occur in family life.
Various solutions to the myriad of minor crises were presented throughout the show. Ultimately, father needed to give the advice that led to peace and harmony.
As times changed, the show was mocked by various groups and then forgotten.
It had a positive effect on me because that father became the role model I never managed to live up to but was the standard I judged myself on.
After the Lord called me to faith, I began to see the biblical basis for that model father.
Ultimately, it is God the Father and his wisdom that I needed to follow.
God the Father knows best.
Today’s passage shows me that Solomon’s wisdom is in fact God’s wisdom of practical living.
The wise man is a discerning man whereas the fool never discerns the truth of life.
I have often been a fool, blurting words that were careless of information.
More often I blurted hurtful words to others, thinking I was saying something witty or funny, pompously concerned with the impression I wanted to make rather than with people’s feelings or the appropriateness of the remark.
I was too often concerned with being the centre of attention rather than a peacemaker or a man of trustworthiness.
Too many of my comments showed how judgmental I was, and being judgmental is the clearest sign of pride, envy, resentment and insecurity. Judging words bring death while kind words bring life.
At a recent family party, I greeted a young cousin I hadn’t seen in three or four years with a negative comment instead of something nice.
He’d grown two feet taller than when I’d last seen him, had a beard and longish hair and wore less than tidy clothes.
He was a university student in that phase of life.
I smiled and said, “Who’s this scruffy guy?” I instantly regretted it and apologized, but what a stupid thing to say! I showed I was a fool.
Application: to say a good farewell to my son and granddaughter today.
Lord, inspire me with your Holy Spirit of discernment. Let me grow into a wise man pleasing to you in thought, word and deed.
