“Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.” (Proverbs 17:12 NIV)
A fool bent on folly is not good company. You’re better off hanging out with a bear who has lost her cubs. If you want to know what the term Mama Bear means, watch this video. A Mama bear takes on a tiger to protect her cub, she wins. You would rather meet a mamma bear than a fool bent on folly. But what is a fool bent on folly?
A fool bent on folly is not good company.
Fools only think of themselves:
“Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” (Proverbs 18:2 NIV)
All of us can fall into this trap. We get so caught up in our own opinions, we don’t try to understand anyone else’s. When we’re busy telling others what we think, we can’t listen to what they say. Hard truth: no one knows everything. Not even you. If we want to grow, we have to make an effort to understand others’ opinions.
Fools make bad choices:
“The hearts of wise people lead them on the right path. But the hearts of foolish people take them down the wrong path.” (Ecclesiastes 10:2 NLT)
We all make bad choices. We all face consequences to those choices. A wise person learns from their mistake. A fool makes the same bad decision again. I’m a fool when the conversation is about food. I know my worst time for indulging is at night. I try every day to come up with a new plan to conquer my night time snacking. The only plan that works is not having snacks in the house. If I continue to buy tortilla chips, I will continue to eat tortilla chips. If I don’t change my ways, you would call me a fool.
Fools don’t believe in God:
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.” (Psalm 53:1 NIV)
Not everyone believes in God. The reasons are plenty why people don’t believe. But according to David, someone who truly does not believe in God is a fool. Personally, when someone tells me they don’t believe in God, I don’t try to change their mind. I pray for them. I pray God will make His presence real in their lives and one day they will believe. I was a fool once too who didn’t believe in God. Thankfully, people prayed for me and now I do.
You’re not a fool if you believe in God. You are wise. You can tap into His word, His people and His power to guide your life. Pray for the fools you know that they too will know God.
Question of the Day:
Are you a fool bent on folly?
Further Reading: 1 Kings 18:1-46 NIV, Acts 11:1-30 NIV, Psalm 135:1-21 NIV, Proverbs 17:12-13 NIV
