Proverbs 18
1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.
4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
Have you ever known someone who has an opinion on everything – and they think their opinion is the only one that matters! There are a couple of cable news commentators who instantly come to mind for me, along with a couple of political leaders who are always giving their opinion to anyone who will listen. When I flip the channels and see these people, I want to move on as fast as I can, don’t you?!
There is one woman, in particular, who has an evening show on cable TV in which she interviews the principles in controversial stories, like high-profile murder trials and kidnappings and the like. It doesn’t take long to see that she has declared herself judge and jury. She has decided the outcome of the situation, and she is clamoring to get her viewers to see it her way! The more I get into God’s word and learn about His desires for our lives and His ways, I see that this is nothing short of evil. Foolish people, as the Proverbs describe them, have separated themselves. Verse 3 calls them “wicked,” and quite honestly, they are! They flaunt their own ideas and opinions and encourage others to jump on the bandwagon. Wisdom goes right out the window.
It is tempting to “run like the wind” when you encounter someone like this. But that is not practical. If the person is your teacher, or your boss, or one of your community leaders, or even your parent, you will have to put up with them. BUT… there are things you can do: 1) pray for them - ask God to change their heart; 2) live by example. Avoid being “puffed up” yourself and expounding your opinion or creating an argument with the person; and 3) stay close to God in prayer and Bible study, and surround yourself with wise people who seek God’s will and counsel and know when to speak and when to be quiet. Look for people who don’t gossip or try to dominate others, and establish relationships with them that will benefit and nurture both of you.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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