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How Folly Keeps Us From The Bible - Proverbs 18:2

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A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 
Proverbs 18:2

One of my favorite Proverbs, although it really shouldn't be. This part of God's word confronts my communication patterns like no other, particularly my listening.

Lets face it, culturally speaking, social media is making it easier to speak and harder to hear. Take me for example, this blog even. I am doing all the talking, expressing myself again...oh the hypocrisy of it all.

Since you are here, let me share an insight (I said insight, not opinion). There is a big difference there, I will have to explain that at a different time. For now, on with the insight.

The biblical notion of "fool" is someone who removes themselves from God. One who claims autonomy from God and lives as if he doesn't exist. One who rejects God as creator and the rightful parent of all mankind. The fool is the one who is "wise in their own eyes." The Bible is not referring to a fool as someone who lets their seven year old drive their car or someone who swims in a bikini made of duct tape (especially if you are a guy). Rather, a fool is someone who is indeed wise, but the source of their wisdom has nothing to do with the creator and sustainer of the universe, in fact, it rules him out of the equation. 

For the record, there are people who are not Christians who are very good listeners. They truly are more interested in what others have to say. Likewise, there are Christians who are act like idiots. They replace the "one anothers" of the NT with "one-up anothers."  You know they guy, they stand around the campfire and they are easy to spot, just look for the guy who caught the biggest fish and has the best technique and found the most cost-effective way... "you think that's something, let me tell you about..." 

Enough on that. If I kept going I would eventually realize I am that fool, and I don't want to add any more hypocrisy to my plate.

Let me get right to the point: this Proverb says something about why, if you are a Christian, you struggle with reading your Bible (and yes, I am assuming that if you are a Christian, you do struggle from time to time with Bible reading). Here is my thought:

Christian's don't really avoid Bible reading because they are too busy or they don't have enough time. One of the real reasons is because, truth be told, it isn't relevant to them and doesn't prove to be time well spent. In other words, "I have a million things going on and I have a lot of questions and decisions to make and quite frankly, learning about some guy whose name ends in "IAH" just isn't cutting it for me." Like the sputtering offense of the GB Packers, it just isn't getting it done.

When and where this is truly the case, Proverbs 18:2 applies: A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. If we look at Bible reading as our conversation with God we are essentially saying: "God, I know what I need, let me tell you...and quite frankly, I don't have time for your wisdom at the moment, it is irrelevant to me. Perhaps another time." 

Like a fool, I determine what I need. Like a fool, I tell God he isn't providing it. Like a fool, I refuse to listen to what he wants to say. Like a fool, I take no pleasure in understanding, only in expressing my own opinion, to God.

I want to leave you with hope. Jesus died on the cross for fools like me. He holds his hands out to fools like me and says come and eat and drink, take food at no cost, learn from me and I will give you rest for your souls (Isaiah 55 and Matthew 11:28). No matter how much I mess up and no matter how much I refuse to listen, he never gives up on me and never stops drawing me to himself. I am his child, after all.

This is the beauty of the gospel, that God does not treat us according to what our folly deserves but in grace because of the cross of Christ. He has everything I need, I will see that, if I simply stopped making my case and learned to listen. 

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