(Further reflections on “The Scoffer & The Wise”—Sunday 17-Sep-2023)
Having a high IQ/EQ (Intelligence/Emotion Quotient) and a whole range of other ‘Qs’ do not always guarantee having a godly wisdom though one may appear streetwise. So how do we know if one is godly-wise? Reflecting and drawing from Proverbs 9:7-12, here some practical ways.
First, observe the expressions/reactions of the soul (mind, will, and emotion), especially when one is being confronted with God’s word. How do they react? What goes through their mind? How do they feel about it? Then you will know if/when someone rejects or even hates you when you truthfully and lovingly lay out God’s wisdom to his/her specific situation regardless of how difficult it is, but make sure the motive is godly. For the benefit of the doubt, you can graciously try a few more times and if the outcome remains the same, you can tentatively conclude he/she is (or at least was) a scoffer/mocker/scorner.
Second, watch the lifestyle. How do they live, not just on Sunday but through the week. Self-awareness takes time. It also takes time to know someone’s mind-will-emotion (soul). These days, lifestyle includes online activities, social media posts, whom they are hanging out with, what they are passionate about, whom they look up to, and what they really believe in because oftentimes, what people said they believe in is not the same with how they live. One’s calendar reflects one’s lifestyle.
Third, explore the worldview. It also takes time and relationship to know yourselves and others. A worldview is a set of core beliefs on the core of life, what’s important in life. One’s core beliefs, when unpacking it (peeling the ‘onion’ layers), can be many things. Scholars came up with 4-7 main worldviews, but the Bible seems to give us only two. Biblical and anthropological worldviews. The former views and interprets all matters of life through God’s Word and God’s Work through God’s Son—Jesus Christ and God’s ongoing Works through the Holy Spirit, who reminds and rectifies one’s spirit to reorient one’s soul. The latter views and interprets everything or many things in life through human’s “eyes,” which involves the mind, will, emotion, and likely devoid of the spirit (due to its dormancy or death, spiritually speaking).
Last but not least, check “the fear of the Lord” factor. You might have heard, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but it is godly-wise to judge one’s behavior by one’s “the fear of the Lord.” Why? Fear both suffocates and motivates. One’s ‘doing’ (motivation) and ‘not-doing’ (suffocation) tell a lot about one’s ‘fearing’.
Now some may wonder, What if we don’t care or want to know about who are the scoffers and the wise? Well, it won’t affect the outcome, because God cannot be mocked/scorned/scoffed or laughed at. Both will receive their due ‘rewards’.
May the grace, love, and mercy of the Lord our God wake us up from our naivety, foolishness, mockery, and wickedness. Let us run towards Christ Jesus—the ultimate and perfect wisdom of God.
Amen.
—
Pastor Lap
Comments