It's been an interesting month. In the last month, I've been in the hospital 3 times. Once because they didn't know what was wrong with me, once fro an MRI 3 days later, and then again to remove what the MRI found. In the middle, I started leading worship for the students of Cross TImbers COmmunity Church at their Keller campus. That's the logistical breakdown. Here's what's going on in my heart.
I heard a message not too long ago at the Celebrate Recovery Summit in California that just rocked my world. It took the last few year of my life and explained them in a new light. It broke me down. Broke me down to china town. (what?)
Proverbs describes 3 types of people. The wise, the fool, and the evil. As this speaker unpacked these three types of people, I found myself uncomfortably captivated by the fool. I could relate WAY to well to the fool.
The wise man listens. He hears correction and accepts it. The light of truth shines on this man and he reacts to the light. That's wisdom. The ability to be corrected. The way you deal with a wise man is to talk to them.
The evil man is just evil. They delight in injustice. They're out to get you and want to see you fail. The only way to deal with evil people is to avoid them...protect yourself from them. Become wise and leave evil people alone. God can handle them.
The fool....the fool. The fool blames, denies responsibility, takes the focus off the problem or source of the problem and puts it on others. The fool cannot accept correction. The light shines on the fool and they're like...pssshh...naahh...i'm good...
Then this speaker described the way to deal with a fool. You don't. You let them fail. The only way a fool becomes wise is through consequences. You don't let the fool keep being a fool at the expense of God's call on Your life. Stop dealing with them and let...them...fail.
See I have a lot of talent. And I don't say that arrogantly. If it were worth anything to have talent, a lot more people would be following this blog. Talent will get you to all-state choir (98 baby!) or a decent scholarship. What talent doesn't come with is wisdom. wisdom comes from failure...well learning from failure.
So I am a fool. I have been a fool for so long. Relying on my talent to coast through life. Shifting blame when I fail. Denying responsibility in the most mundane of things. (dishes, laundry, yard work for example) No longer.
THere is great hope for us fools, though. Peter was a fool. Professing Christ as Lord one day, denying he even knows him the next..the VERY next. Saul was a fool. So much so God changed his name when he rescued him from his foolishness. God loves fools. He uses fools...well...former fools. God save me from my foolishness that I might become foolish for Your sake and mine no longer. Response? PLease? Dan? Alf? Mom? who else follows this?
Well, ok, since you asked... And since that rocked your world, take it and run with it... change the world! Pretty powerful insight. Can't say that I'd choose the FOOL label for myself, but I guess how we RESPOND tells alot about us, and places us in categories, whether we like it or not. I often resemble that remark. It's so true that some people just have to learn things their own way, instead of taking advice and following wisdom.
ReplyDeleteThat would be something good to pray for your own children from the get-go... that they would accept wisdom and take advice as they grow up... like I prayed for you. My prayers were answered...You're catching on. (hug) Prov 13:10.