They’re Everywhere

Proverbs 26:12 (KJV) Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.

This chapter has a long section on the subject of fools.  Think about the things that keep coming up in the book of Proverbs.  The foolishness of adultery.  Listening to your parents and to the wise adults around you.  Many topics, one of them is fools.

I think we get uncomfortable with us, because of what Jesus told us about calling someone a fool.  Keep in mind that Jesus was not addressing calling someone a fool. He was addressing anger and temper, and used calling people fools as an example.  He was not saying there are no fools around us.  The reason we know that is because this chapter repeatedly warns us about fools.

I understand that they are everywhere.  There was some cartoon character that had the phrase “He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere.”  Fools are everywhere.  That tells us two things. First of all be aware that you are surrounded by fools.  They deny the wisdom that God lays out in front of them.  They can’t tell truth when it bites them on the nose.  And the main reason that they can’t tell the truth is because they don’t want to know the truth.

Which brings me to the second issue and that is that we need to be very careful that we ourselves are not fools.  It is so very easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have the answers.  As Christians, we do have the answers.  That does not mean that we cannot twist them to our own advantage.

So?  Don’t get cocky.  Keep calling on the Lord and reading his word, and listening to his admonition to be obedient and humble.  Don’t be one of the crowd around you.