Wisdom Avoids Folly

Proverbs not only deals with the blessings of wisdom; it also addresses the problems created by folly, which means foolishness. Those who know God in a deep and intimate way realize that it is foolish to disobey Him. Why would we do foolish things if we truly believe they will bring trouble into our lives? People act foolishly because they think they can do the wrong thing and somehow still get the right result. But I remind you: God’s Word lets us know that we reap according to what we have sown (Galatians 6:7).

I believe foolishness calls out to us, just as wisdom does. Foolishness says, “Take the easy road! Do what you feel like doing. Have fun and don’t worry about the future. Live for instant gratification. Don’t wait to amuse yourself—do it now!” Proverbs indicates that people living this way have “no sense” (Proverbs 9:16). Little do they know that they are damaging their future and that the price of instant gratification ultimately won’t be worth paying.

To me, the Bible has one main message: When we do what God tells us to do, we will be blessed; when we disobey Him, we have troubles heaped on top of troubles. Experience with God teaches us that this is true—and gaining this experience is often costly. Sometimes only the consequences of having done the wrong thing can teach us to do the right thing. Learning to obey God may be a painful lesson at times, but it can save us a great deal of trouble in the future.

Let me give you a practical example from my life. I have been sitting in a recliner for several hours working on this book. More than one doctor, one of whom is a back surgeon who performed a minor surgery on a disc in my back several years ago, has advised me that when I am writing, I should be sure to stand, stretch, walk around the house, and get a little exercise at least once every hour. Doing this is for my good. Well, when I am writing, I am focused on the message I want to communicate and I’m in a flow. The last thing I want to do is stop. However, I can feel when I am getting tired, and I know that that is a signal to get up. About fifteen minutes ago, I had one of those times, and although I did not want to, I got up, stretched my back and walked on my treadmill for fifteen minutes. I took a little break, and now I have returned to work.

I cannot tell you how many years I ignored the feeling of being tired and stiff, and I allowed it to get to the point of exhaustion. Doing so was the cause of my back problems and some other physical problems as well. Thankfully, God is gracious to heal us even when we have been foolish, but we often have to go through discomfort that we could have avoided had we listened to Him.

Hopefully and prayerfully you will be encouraged to use wisdom and avoid folly, realizing that one brings blessing and the other brings trouble.

Ask yourself: What helpful instructions have I ignored out of pride? Is there an area of my life where I’ve wandered into foolishness?