Wise or Foolish?

The way of man is to attain whatever one wants by whatever means is available.

It starts as soon as we come forth from the womb. A baby's first cry is attended to with arms of protection and warmth. Wrapped snug in warm blankets and immediately fed mimics the safe environment of growth and development. To a baby, a seemingly cruel ejection into a world of exposure brings the greatest joy to a mother that transcends the pain of delivery.

And so a battle begins. We don't recognize it as such,  but all of a sudden,  the innate roles of parent and child take their perspective places on the field and the goal is to be on the same team and play the game together. The reality is our human nature in each player wants to make our own rules.

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

King Solomon wrote Proverbs. The Lord asked him what he wanted and he answered “wisdom”. And because he didn't ask for riches or fame,  the Lord gave him all of it,  inclusive. Proverbs begins with the difference between a wise man and a fool. Divided into three sections,  verses 1 through 6 gives definition;  to know, discern, receive, give, hear, acquire and understand. Verses 8 through 19 describes the fool. Verses 20 through 33 describes the consequences of a fool.

There is a song from the 60’s with the line “everybody plays the fool,  there's no exception to the rule”. Oh,  how we find it hard to accept and admit that to ourselves,  let alone others. Even Solomon,  who wrote these words ended up losing his kingdom because of foolishness. It doesn't make the words untrue. It just confirms their validity even more.

We want what we want. Human nature is insatiable. Jesus died on a cross and paid for our sin by paying  the penalty for it because we couldn't pay for it. Insatiability cannot be cured by insatiability. There is never enough. Only completeness can satisfy completely!

This year Easter falls on April 1,  which is April Fool's Day. There are many takes on the origin of that day from the switch to the Julian calendar to the vernal equinox to the hilarity of Spring’s beginning. I like to remind myself of Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart,  there is no God”. That is sad,  for without God what will satisfy your endless cravings? Where is one's hope? My hope is in the sacrificial love of God giving me an expected end in heaven someday. I may have come with insatiable need,  but I am leaving with a glorious fulfilled promise!