proverbs: how to become a fool

update on my challenge

i have just finished up the book of proverbs in my Bible reading challenge.  back in august i encouraged readers to join me in making a personal plan to get into the Word more.  several responded with different plans - reading through the new testament, the entire Bible in chronological order, or reading a proverb a day.  i decided to read through my Bible cover to cover from august 25, 2010- august 25, 2011, approximately 3 chapters a day, using you version to track my reading and unlocking the bible by david pawson to be my companion book.  (if you want it too, purchasing it from the link on this page will help support my blog).  any others who dove into their own Bible reading challenge still with me?  any who made plans in january still going strong? 

i am here to report that i have had many days where i miss my reading or only get to part of my reading.  i warned you and myself back in august that i can get pretty discouraged if i don't do something "all the way," and can get tempted to just quit.  i think the biggest help in overcoming this has been using you version.  simply checking the little box to say i completed the chapter has helped me see when i get behind or feel accomplished when i do read.  also, having the app on my iphone has made it extremely helpful to play catch up when i get behind by reading my chapters on my phone in the dark in bed, while i am waiting in line or in a waiting room or pretty much wherever, and has made me have no excuse for being able to catch up and try to keep up.  so if you are behind in whatever your goal was, it is not too late!  pick up where you left off today and keep on going.  no one is perfect at this, but as we discipline ourselves to actually read the Word and not just rely on a sermon on sunday morning or our favorite podcast to feed us, we will feel so much more alive! 

proverbs

so you may be wondering about my title to this post:  proverbs: how to become a fool.  there is so much in the book of proverbs on what wisdom looks like, but there is also so much on what folly looks like.  most scholars agree that king solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, wrote and compiled this book of proverbs largely to instruct his son about how to live and what will come of choosing wisdom or choosing folly.  some believe that he wrote this book in the middle age years of his life and was warning his son to not follow in his footsteps on some of his own poor choices.  though the proverbs aren't promises that we can "name and claim," they are general truths about what the outcome is of how we live our lives.  they are true in the majority of situations.

so, since everyone usually approaches this book with wanting to gain wisdom, i wanted to do something a little different and focus on what it looks like to not have wisdom.  part of wisdom is knowing what wisdom is not!

how to become a fool 101 - the book of proverbs

1. talk a lot.  say whatever comes to mind.  hold nothing back.  for the sake of conversation or being "real," have no filter.  make sure to dominate most, if not all, conversation with talking about yourself, what you think, how you feel, and especially about how others have wronged you and how you are better than them.  and then keep on talking.  have no restraint.  just let it flow.

2. go after the adulteress.  disregard her spouse and your spouse.  be discontent with the wife (or husband) you decided to marry and lust after someone else.  when tempted to lust and to cheat, just go ahead and give in.  don't worry about the repercussions because it is all about the moment.

3. have no fear of the Lord.  it is all good.  anything goes.  do what you please.  do not seek out to know Him more, only worry about knowing yourself.  oh yeah... and what others think about you.

4. be unteachable.  be uncorrectable.  be untouchable.  when someone comes to point out weakness or sin in your life, lash out and call them the fool.  make sure they feel really bad about what they said, so they won't try that again. also, be super disrespectful of your parents.  what do they know, right?

5. pride is actually a good thing.  make yourself look like either the hero or the victim in every situation.  make every possible way to think about how cool you are and make sure everyone else knows just how cool you really are.  if someone treats you wrong, you don't have to take that!  stand up for yourself and let them know how valuable you really are.  humility is weakness, right?  it means people will just walk all over you.  pride and proving yourself will get you where you want to go.

6. get as much as you can.  accumulate lots and lots of money and lots and lots of stuff and make sure you don't share it.  when you see the poor, make sure you look the other way and ignore them.  you are better and deserve what you have, right?  don't look or listen because they will weaken you and you might just feel bad and give them something that they will probably use poorly.  that is why they are poor, right?  live the american dream of more and more for yourself and let everyone else figure out how to get ahead for themselves.  survival of the fittest. 

that hurts!

if you are reading through these and feel an ouch in your spirit and suddenly are thinking hmmm... maybe i should try to get some wisdom, you are not alone!  i am seeing so much foolishness in my heart that i was trying to pretend was wisdom and am realizing i don't really know true wisdom like i thought i did.  or even if i knew what was right, i have often hardened my heart and lived how i have felt like living. 

maybe i need a good dose of the fear of the Lord.  solomon said that was a good place to start.

what do you think?

any other ways to become a fool you can think of from this wonderful "how to" book?  i would love to hear them in the comments below.

charis