The Best: Part 1Sýnishorn

Prayer: Lord God, I confess to you that I have been foolish and naive. Help me to seek out your wisdom. Please soften my heart to receive whatever it is you have for me to learn from your Word, and help me to apply it to my life.

Pity the Fool

Have you ever felt like a fool? Maybe it was that time you tripped in front of that cute classmate or forgot your (now ex) boyfriend or girlfriend’s birthday. Maybe it was something more serious, like giving more of yourself to that person than you should have before committing to be his or her spouse. In both big ways and small, no one is guiltless when it comes to foolishness.

The book of Proverbs has much to say about our foolish behavior. One example is found in verse 10:8 — “The wise of heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be ruined.” Not only does the person behaving foolishly reject correction, but he talks instead of listens. 

Men, you don’t want to be like this. Confidence can be good, but if it is baseless or turns into overconfidence, it never ends well. It is possible to be both strong and naive; and while bravery and foolishness are different, they are far from opposites. It is wise to open yourself up to the correction of your mature brothers in Christ, and to be diligent to follow the commands of the Lord.

Women, you certainly don’t want to one day find yourself married to a foolish man like this, who, on those early dates is confident and easy to talk to, but later talks over you and thinks he knows better than the correction he receives from the Godly people in his life—if he’s even allowed such people a voice at all. A man who listens and is looking to grow in his relationship with the Lord will make a far better husband.

The good news is that being naive or being a fool are not identities the Bible labels us with, but are behaviors that we can avoid. Proverbs 8:5 says, “You who are naive, discern wisdom! And who are you fools, understand discernment!“ 

No one is born wise. It is something we have to learn and develop over time. The first step is to recognize in ourselves where we are fools and where we are naive, so that we can learn from our mistakes and become wise. Not only that, but we want to be sure to evaluate anyone we might be interested in dating for these qualities. It is naive and foolish to date the naive and foolish, and it is wise to join your life to someone who is wise.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. What ways can I open myself up to correction from Godly people?
2. What are some commands of God that I know to be true, but are making excuses about instead of obeying?
3. Have I found myself interested in dating someone who isn’t looking to grow in his or her relationship with God?

What’s Next? 

1. Who are some people in your life who you have verbally given permission to correct you when they see you straying from the commands of God? 
2. If the answer is no one, let’s make that change! Jot down a few names in the notes app on your phone, and start thinking through when you can have a conversation with those people and give them clear permission to speak truth into your life.