Don't Be A Fool

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

(Proverbs 17:28)

Meditation

There are some who speak just to hear the sound of their own voices. They just can’t help themselves because it’s the most fascinating sound their ears ever hear. They are often politicians, actors, or public speakers of some sort. They blather on incessantly, while boring us to tears. They will have an expert opinion on any subject that comes up, but they usually speak with only a crude knowledge of the topic. It doesn’t take long before we’ve decided they’re fools. There’s an old saying, “It’s better to be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” They seem to have a deep-seated need to make sure everyone thinks they’re smart. They are always the ones who will try to dominate the conversation.

I grew up knowing of an elderly man who was only of average intelligence. However, he was considered one of the wisest men of our town, simply because he rarely spoke without listening to everyone else first. After he’d thought about it for a while, he’d give his opinion very concisely and without flowery platitudes. Sometimes, he’d say nothing at all. No one living in our town who knew him would have considered him to be a fool. In fact, most thought he was one of the wisest men they ever knew. I found out much later, he didn’t even have a high school diploma. It was easy to see from his example that wisdom had nothing to do with the level of one’s education. I am fairly well educated, but I have said some very foolish things.

Things happen around us all the time that we could give our opinion on. It’s not always wise or beneficial to speak though. We’re living in a time when speaking our minds can even be dangerous to our wellbeing. So, to speak in situations like that can be extremely foolish. There’s another old saying, “God gave us two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we speak.” If we ask him for it, God will give us the wisdom to say something if and when it’s needed. Otherwise, it’s better if we remain silent. It’s amazing how much smarter we seem when we nod and quietly acknowledge what’s going on. Since we are the representatives of Christ on Earth, let’s wait for the words the Spirit gives us and not thought to be fools.

Prayer Time

Oh God, you are great beyond anything we can imagine. If we ever look at ourselves and think we’ve done something great, something that deserves a pat on the back, we should consider all you have done. We thank you for giving us whatever wisdom you think we’ll need. Never let us try to make ourselves out to be more wise than we are. Show us how much better it is to be silent when we’re not sure what the wise course would be. Father take away our need to be looked upon as smarter or wiser than we really are. If we find ourselves in the situation of wanting to give our opinion when we aren’t qualified to give one, help us to keep our mouths shut. In most cases, we want other believers think we know everything there is to know about you. Give us the wisdom to keep to ourselves when it turns out we don’t. As your followers, we want to wisely represent you while we’re here. We love you and look forward to praising you for all eternity. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!