Fools and Fears

To read this Proverbs series from the beginning, click here.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

My dad would probably offer a hearty “Amen!” to this familiar verse from Scripture. He owns a small business and has witnessed several of his employees’ “foolish” actions in the last decade.

The top three that I remember are:

1. The young man who was told daily to turn the hose water on full blast. And yet, each time, barely turned the knob so that it would dribble out. After being questioned, he would reply, “That makes perfect sense.”

2. The employee who was trained to make certain the piece of machinery always had water running through it so that it would not overheat. After running it without water flowing through, it burned out. He explained that he thought you just needed to have the water on, not flowing through it.

3. And finally the gentleman who set up a six-foot ladder angled away from the house. When he climbed the to the top, he had to lean an exaggerated distance in order to reach the house due to the angle, and he fell.

Needless to say, none of these employees made it in this field of work very long. Despite their training, these employees were convinced that either the instructions were irrelevant or that their method was superior.

Some people do not have a desire to be wise. They may have a desire to be rich, famous, or popular, but wisdom may not necessarily be a prerequisite to these (though in a later blog I will address that wisdom is most likely required to keeping these). 

How do you respond when you are given instructions? Do you jot them down so that you are certain not to skip a step? Or do you shrug your shoulders, assuming them to be unimportant or not as necessary as what you “know” to do.

Scripture tells us that the beginning of wisdom is a right understanding and respect for the power and authority of the Lord. If you want to be wise, don’t start with self-help or textbooks. Start on bended knee in submission to the One who created you.