A ventriloquist is performing with his dummy on his lap. He’s telling a dumb-blonde joke when a young platinum-haired beauty jumps to her feet. “What gives you the right to stereotype blondes that way?” she demands. “What does hair color have to do with my worth as a human being?”
Flustered, the ventriloquist begins to stammer out an apology.
“You keep out of this!” she yells. “I’m talking to that little jerk on your knee!”
With apologies to you blondes out there, I’d propose that this world has a lot of stupid people- and they have all kinds of hair colors! Now when I use the term “stupid” I’m not referring to those who are just ignorant, lacking knowledge about something. I’m referring to those who are slow of mind lacking common sense. It’s what the Bible oftentimes calls being a fool, someone who lacks discretion, wisdom, or good judgment. Numerous times, especially in the book of Proverbs, the fool is contrasted with the wise person, the one with godly insight who we, of course, should strive to be.
The wisdom of Proverbs defines foolishness in many ways including saying that fools “repeat their folly”, “trust in themselves”, “despise wisdom and instruction”, “mock at making amends for sin”, their “lips… bring them strife”, their “mouths… are their undoing”, they “give full vent to their rage” and ultimately they “die for lack of sense”. If we are to learn from their negative examples, I think that means that those who are wise, first of all, learn from their foolish mistakes. In The Message version, Proverbs 14:24 reads “The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day.” I’m sure we’ve all made unwise choices saying or doing things that we wish we could take back. Obviously, we can’t. But we can gain some wisdom and take those lessons from the past to heart to avoid future mistakes.
Secondly, we need to listen to wise advice. Proverbs 12:15 tells us “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” How many times are bad decisions made by those who just can’t fathom that they could possibly be wrong. That’s because a fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others. Whether it’s to confirm our own perspective or to hear a new, insightful opinion, it’s always good to at least listen to what others have to say.
Lastly, the wise are cautious and thoughtful in what they say and do. “Stupid Is as Stupid Does” is a phrase you may have heard, especially after being said by momma in the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump”. Even though Forrest may not appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed, what we actually do is the true indicator of common sense. It all boils down to “you are only as smart as your actions”. Solomon saw how “The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life.” (Proverbs 14:9) To avoid a foolish life, we must take the time to truly think and pray and pursue God’s will before we open our mouths or do anything. Realize the stakes are high as “fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense” (Proverbs 10:21) and to ignore scripture’s advice would just be… well, stupid.
In His Service, Jim