09/08/10

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14.1a)

Because my father’s work place was near our elementary school (and because I loathed riding the school bus), he would take my brother and me to school in the mornings.  This may sound as strange to you as it did to me at the time, but the last words my father would say while we were getting out of his 64 Chevy pickup were, “Be smart.”  Not “Be careful,” or “Be good,” but “Be smart.”

Although that baffled me for many years, I believe I finally have a handle on what he meant.

Most of my life has been dedicated to teaching.  If any of my teachers are out there reading this, please don’t have heart failure when I say that I really enjoy studying.  I really enjoy learning truths that I had not previously known.  I delight in solving questions and having answers.

That alone does not make someone smart nor does it keep someone from being a fool.

One of my pet peeves is when someone asks a question and then argues with the answer.  If you want an answer, accept it.  If you don’t want an answer, don’t ask it.  But, to ask someone for an answer only to argue with the answer is futile at best and foolish at least.

So what does all this have to do with “being smart?”  Being smart implies not only a good, working knowledge of facts, but it also implies the ability to apply those facts in practical applications (a definition of wisdom). Being smart suggests that a person is open to instruction and is willing to change when previously unknown truth is introduced. Being a fool implies just the opposite – having such strong opinions that the truth cannot bring about change.

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”  The fool ignores instruction from those who are wiser and more experienced.  The fool hears truth but disregards it.  The fool has access to truth but does not apply it to his life.  In essence, the fool is not being smart.  How foolish it is to hear truth from the Creator God, written in His Word to us, and not apply it personally to our lives.  How foolish it is to know what God says, and walk away without taking care to obey it in every particular. It is as if we have walked into His presence, asked a question, and then argued with His answer.

Some mornings when I ready myself for the day, I can almost hear my father say, “Be smart.”  When I have my daily moments with my Lord, I can almost hear Him say, “Be smart.”

As you prepare yourself for the day, take the advice of a loving Father and “Be smart.”

Rev. John H Hill