The Bible says that foolishness is bound in the heart of a child and also that a rod of correction drives it far from him. As a child, the rod of correction is good for driving foolishness far from the child. But when we grow up and advance in age; it doesn’t ensure that automatically we become wise people. As adults our level of foolishness may not be the silly things as a small child. So we need help in this area. This help may at times be in the form of correction from godly brothers or sisters. If we have a heart to receive correction and we are not quickly offended when someone gives us a feedback, then it a great way of gaining wisdom. If someone corrects us we don’t have to be offended or be in a defensive mood. This is one way of driving out foolishness from our hearts.
A basic step is to recognize our own need. How do we view ourselves? As a wise person who doesn’t need anyone’s help or do we realize a need that we still have many foolish ways in our lives? Do we see a deep rooted foolishness being manifested in different situations in our lives? So, recognizing our need is a very important thing. We need God’s help to drive out foolishness. It is a good that in our daily prayer we ask God for wisdom and discernment.
When we look at 1 Kings 3 we read of when God visited Solomon and said to him, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” How did Solomon respond? He initially expressed thankfulness for his father and how God led his father. In verse 7 Solomon says, “Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.” Look at the attitude of Solomon. He is opening his heart to the Lord that he is a child and that he doesn’t know how to take care of the nation. In the Bible we see many people like Solomon who had such a wonderful start with an excellent attitude. It is good for us also to have a very good beginning but it is not good enough if we backslide. The good beginning should continue till the end. We know what happened at the end of Solomon’s life. In verse 9 we see the request Solomon makes, “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” He asks for two things – an understanding heart and an ability to discern good and evil. God was really happy to hear Solomon’s desire (v10). When we pray, is God pleased in it? It is good to ask ourselves this question. It is the same today – if we ask for wisdom and discernment, God will be delighted in our prayer. If we pray knowing that we lack wisdom, God will give it to us. God answers the prayer of Solomon. In verse 12 we read, “behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.” And God also gave Solomon what he hadn’t asked for also. When we pray in a way that pleases God’s heart, God can give not only what we pray for but beyond what we have prayed for and God knows that we need those things. It is wonderful for us to remember these things. Like Solomon if we have a sense of need for wisdom and prayer, God will give it to us.
In the Bible, we read a lot about wisdom. Most of it is in the book of Proverbs and mostly written by Solomon. In Proverbs 9:10 we read, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” What is wisdom? The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Learn to walk in the fear of God; not just in church when you are in the midst of people. Walk before God’s eyes. In Proverbs 14:1 we read, “The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Wisdom has an ability to build up but when we are foolish we have a tendency to tear down what is already built. In Proverbs 24:3, “By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established.” Once I visited a family with 12 children. One thing that the mother said registered in my mind. She said, “The brothers in the church, they always speak about the need of wisdom and being a mother, I know that it is something that I really need. These brothers who speak and encourage cannot give this wisdom. I know that I have to seek God and only He can give me wisdom.” That mother recognized this spiritual truth – that only God can give wisdom.
In our practical situations we need a lot of wisdom. I remember in my younger days I have done a lot of foolish things. At some point in time I realized that I do many foolish things and that I needed God’s help to have wisdom. I started regularly praying for wisdom and discernment. Very often our foolishness is expressed in the way we speak. In Ephesians 4:29 we read, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Whatever that comes out of our mouth should be wholesome and helpful words and not empty, shallow, hurting kind of words. This verse says that our words should be spoken at the right moment. We may be speaking the right things but at the wrong time to wrong people. Sometimes even when we say the right things, people are discouraged and put down because we spoke at the wrong time. One sign of wisdom is shown in the way we speak and communicate. If we speak negative things at home in the hearing of our children – it is not a wise thing to do. If we gossip about others when our children hear, we are sowing bad seed into the hearts of the small children. Another instance that shows our foolishness is when we advise everyone. There are some foolish young men and women who have a lot of advice for married couples and also for parents who raise children although they themselves have no experience in this area. That is an example of foolishness. A mark of foolishness is going around giving advice to everyone even if it is not asked. A wise person will give advice only when it is requested. Another instance is when we nag our children saying the same thing over and over again. In such cases the child will get irritated and not give importance to what we say. Parents may be impatient and so may keep saying the same thing again and again. But it does not help our children and it will put them down. Bible also says that comparing is a foolish thing. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. God in His sovereignty made us the way we are and put us in the family we should be. Each one of us was made uniquely by God. Comparing ourselves to others can be very depressing. We should be grateful in the way God has created us and in the circle He has kept us in. We should also not compare our children with other children. Everyone is different. Appreciate your children for their efforts. It is a good way of building them up.
In Colossians 3:21 we read, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Exasperate means to irritate. The result of expressing irritation is that the children get discouraged. Once a father shared his experience with me. His son was not very good in studies. He was often scolded and discouraged by his teachers at school and in tuition classes but his father always encouraged him. Once the father spoke some negative words to this son and the son felt discouraged and told his father, “I hear a lot of discouraging words form others and I can accept all of that, but I can’t bear discouraging words from you.” It broke the father’s heart. Through expressing irritation, we can dishearten our children. We should be very careful. In Ephesians 6:4 there is another verse to fathers. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” We have the ability to provoke our children if we are not careful. We need to seek wisdom in this area. When we make mistakes ask forgiveness from God and also ask forgiveness from our children. Children will respect your honesty. It is good to lead a honest life and not be hypocrites at home. If we speak spiritual words but children don’t see the character of Christ in us, they can’t respect us.
In relation to the church, let us read from Romans 14:19,20, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.” Our desire should be to build up one another. For this we need to be patient and have a heart of forgiveness. It is possible to tear down the work of God if I am foolish. If I am not wise and not seeking discernment, I can easily tear down the work that God has done. In Galatians 3:1,2 we read, “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” The context in which Paul speaks this is that the Galatians were moving into a spirit of legalism. They were emphasizing the need to follow the Old Covenant rules. We can also be called foolish for certain other things that we do. We should be careful.
If we are honest and we recognize our need, there is hope for us. We don’t have to continue in foolishness. In James 1:5 we read, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” God will be happy and delighted when we recognize our lack and ask Him for wisdom. He will generously give. What a promise! Sometimes in some married couples I see, the brother is so wonderful and the sister is so wonderful, but together something is missing. Very often the reason is the lack of wisdom. Either the husband or wife approach things in a foolish way and they can’t build together but rather tear down God’s work. Let us seek wisdom from God who will give generously to all. May God bless all of us.
