I'll admit that I'm not a fan of the word "stupid." I think it's often misplaced in its usage. But one place that gets it right? The Bible, of course. Take a look at this portion of today's passage:
People ruin their lives by their own stupidity,
so why does God always get blamed?
Ouch! It's like a Biblical extension of Forrest Gump's "Stupid is as stupid does" saying--meaning that stupidity is revealed and defined by a person's actions, not an IQ test. What are some of the stupid things people do to ruin their own lives?
If we look at the context of this passage, there are a few stupid actions mentioned. Here are a few I noticed:
- Dishonesty
- Gossip
- Nagging
- Talking without anything valuable to say
- Laziness
- A quick temper
- Hard-hearted stubbornness
- Not listening to others (particularly, wise counsel)
Hmm...I've definitely done some of the things on this list (well okay, all of them at some point!). Yikes!
The flip side of this passage? You and I don't have to act stupid. With God's help, we can make better choices (and recognize our mistakes and ask for forgiveness when we mess up). We can choose to be honest even if it doesn't seem easy or beneficial to us. We can choose to be quiet and avoid the temptation of the rumor mill. We can work harder and smarter. We can keep quiet...especially when our minds or our emotions are not in the right place. We can listen and learn.
Like stupidity, wisdom is defined by actions ("Wisdom is as wisdom does"?). Let's avoid blaming God for our mistakes and instead, asking for His wisdom to guide our steps.
Tomorrow: Proverbs 22-23
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