-Read Scripture-
I love Proverbs 26 because it addresses something we all have to deal with here on this Earth: fools. Fools make poor decisions, they are lazy, untrustworthy, disillusioned, naive, and can be very dangerous at certain times. We have all, at one point or another, been hurt by a fool. (Or been the fool.) That person who refuses to hear the truth and continues to make decisions that hurt themselves and those around them.
"As a dog returns to it's vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11 TNIV
The dangerous thing about fools is that their decisions rarely only hurt themselves, it hurts those around them. "Like an archer who shoots at random and injures everyone, so is a person who hires a fool..." Proverbs 26:10 The Voice. I also think this verse is applicable to those who are friends/family with a fool. You hear about this or experience this yourself all the time. Your friend at work made a horrible decision and your name was attached to theirs so you were involved in the repercussions. Someone you know was in a car with a fool who had too much to drink and suffered the consequences. Your mom married a fool and your entire family suffered. I could go on and on... If you think about it, it doesn't matter if you are the one who causes the explosion or if you are right next to them. If you are too close, the shrapnel is just as dangerous.
"Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes." Proverbs 26:4-5 NKJ Now these verses were a little confusing to me at first. He tells us not to answer in one verse, then tell us to answer in the next. Then I realized the truth, the whole point is that it is a lose lose situation. Either you respond to their foolishness and you end up looking foolish, or you don't and they don't see the problem! Lose lose. I don't know about you, but I don't like lose lose situations, and tend to try and avoid them.
Today, I want us to think about our friends and who we spend our time with. Do you have any ticking time bombs in your life? Are you in some lose lose situations? Have you been trying to talk some sense into someone with no results?
Now I don't think we should abandon all the "fools" in our lives, after all we are all "foolish" at times. But there is a difference with someone being foolish and a fool, and there is a way to live at a safe distance. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what that looks like as it is different for every person and situation. For example, you can't escape your family ;) But you should start that dialogue with God about what a it might look like for you and those around you if you constantly find yourself in the company of fools. Just be conscience of who you spend your time with and how close you allow yourself to danger. Most of the time, you never see it until it's too late. That is why it is so important to guard ourselves and our loved ones.
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