Smart, Not Wise

My son described to me a classmate of his whom he admires much for his consistent high grades. But my son said in spite of his classmate's brains, he struggles to give him full recognition because he tends to be reckless.

Rather self-centered, he turns everything into a competition that he must always win. And he gets himself into trouble often with spur-of-the-moment decisions which he follows through with apparently not very well thought-out actions.

I thought my son described his classmate aptly when he said of him, "He is smart but not wise."

There seems to be no lack of such characters in life. Who knows but anyone might well be subject every now and then to occasional spells of lack in wisdom in spite of our abundance in intelligence.

Whether it be character or occasional lack, the Bible has a neat little term for it: foolish.

The foolish can sometimes just be funny strange. Or they can be outright dangerous. It is the "smart but not wise" that especially requires caution. They can be so glib in deceiving that they manage to deceive themselves.

It's not so much that they become doubly harmed by their own deception. It is that they believe their own lies so much that they become believable to the not so discerning.

The Bible says nothing gets settled when we make the mistake of getting into a contest with them. It does not matter if the fool finds our challenge laughable or a grievous outrage. There is simply no rest in engaging them.

Scripture:
"If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether he rages or laughs, there is no rest." (Proverbs 29:9 MKJV)

"If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace." (Proverbs 29:9 NIV)

Observation:
Seeking relief against a foolish person is futile.

Application:
At all cost, I will avoid getting into a conflict with a foolish person.

Prayer:
Dear God, please grant me discernment through Your Holy Spirit so that I may distinguish between a wise and a foolish person. Fill me, Holy Spirit. Enable me to be at peace with everyone. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

June 4, 2007 entry to the personal handwritten journal I use in my quiet time with God.