Word To The Wise: Don't Be A Fool!

Do you remember Mr. T?  Mr. T is an American actor known for his roles as B.A. Baracus in the 1980s TV series The A-Team, boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and his appearances as a professional wrestler in the WWF.  If there is one thing that Mr. T was famous for it was one phrase, “I pity the fool”!  Mr. T would say, “I pity the fool” to anyone who said or did anything that he thought was deserving of a whoopin’.  When Mr. T said, “I pity the fool” it was a warning to them that he was coming to punch their lights out.

The book of Proverbs expresses pity for the fool as well.  Foolishness is referred to 73 times in the book of Proverbs as a warning of the kind of person we do not want to be.  Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom.  Another term used to describe the foolish in Proverbs are the  “simple”. So, if wisdom is knowing and living life according to God’s way, what does it mean to be a fool?  A fool is someone who lives life INDEPENDENT of God’s way and arrogantly ignores wisdom.  God “pities the fool” who lives life in such a way!

READ:  Proverbs 1:7, 22

Here’s our WORD TO THE WISE for the week from the book of Proverbs (and Mr. T):  Don’t be a FOOL!  The wise pursue wisdom and instruction whereas fools “despise it”.  The wise pursue knowledge, whereas fools “hate it”.  Fools are characterized by a few things that we need to be aware of . . .

Fools are right in their OWN EYES (Prov. *12:15, 18:2, *28:26) – Do you find it easy or hard to admit when you are wrong?  HARD!  Having difficulty admitting we are wrong is a sign of foolishness in our lives because fools are always “right in their own eyes”.  A fool selfishly finds “wisdom” in their own personal thoughts and ideas.  A fool arrogantly denies the possibility that anyone else could have a wise thought or idea outside of themselves.  We will avoid foolishness when we can honestly admit that we are helplessly wrong and God is always right.

Fools are RECKLESS and CARELESS thinkers (Prov. 14:16) – As a parent, the question, “what were you thinking?” enters into my mind a lot.  When I find writing on a wall (or the side of our van) with permanent marker I have to ask, “what were you thinking?”  My mom asked me what I was thinking in college when I decided to jump off a train bridge into river for fun.  A fool is someone who does not put careful thought into their words or actions.  A fool will say and do whatever comes into their minds giving no thought to how reckless or destructive it might be.  We will avoid foolishness when we give first consideration to what God would have us say or do in any and every situation.

Fools ruin their lives with their MOUTH (Prov. *10:14, 15:2, 14, *18:6-7) – Most of us would never consider physically hurting ourselves (although there are those who cut or attempt suicide).  And yet, a fool is guilty of bringing harm upon themselves with some of the words that come out of their mouths.  Cutting and suicide are intentional efforts to cause ourselves pain or death, whereas a fool unintentionally “ruins” their life by using hurtful and destructive words they say to others.  James 3:6 says, “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life.”  We will avoid the destructive consequences of foolishness if we guard the words of our mouths’ closely and speak only with the words and wisdom given to us by God.

CONCLUSION:

No one would want to be pitied by Mr. T!  No one wants to foolish.  And yet, if we are living life independent of God and arrogantly ignoring the godly wisdom of others, according to Proverbs, we are a fool.  A word to the wise, . . . DON’T BE A FOOL!   Let go of your selfish pride and humbly submit your life to knowing and living according to God’s way.