Are You Coming Unglued?

The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. Proverbs 10:8


I am annoyed by repetitive noises. Fans whirring. Pencils tapping. Wheels squeaking. These things will get my attention, but probably not the attention that they want from me.


Fools are the source of repetitive noise. They talk and talk and talk, but have nothing to say. I’ll be cautious here, since I am foolish at times.


The fool gives when he has nothing to offer. The wise, who have much to offer, focus on receiving. The wise know that there is so much that they don’t know. The fool has it all figured out. The wise are teachable. The fool doesn’t want to hear it. I pity the fool.


The wise pay attention to God’s commands, even when they don’t feel like it. When things are wrong around them, they choose what is right. When fools choose to rant and rave and wallow in self-pity, the wise keep still.


When problems arise, the wise learn from the situation. The fool jumps off the cliff. The wise take a step back. The fool rushes in.


It’s easy to be wise when life is manageable. We carefully think things through. We choose to respond rather than react. We can take a breath. But, when things become chaotic, we often lose our minds. Our judgment is clouded. Our brains are overridden by our emotions. Our mouths open and a fire is ignited (James 3).


Most of us don’t neatly fit into the category of “wise” or “foolish.” There are times when we act wisely. There are times when we act foolishly. The Message paraphrases this verse, “A wise heart takes orders; an empty head will come unglued.” Are you embracing God’s commands today or are you coming unglued?


A great way to receive God’s wisdom and ingrain it in your psyche is to read the Proverbs. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, not because he lived his life so well, but because he asked God for wisdom and received it (1 Kings 4:29). There are 31 proverbs and there are 28-31 days in a month. How about one proverb per day? See we can be wiser already.






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