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| PhotoCourtesy: Word4Ten |
Have you ever
stopped in the middle of a sentence because you felt you’ve just said something
awkward? (Laughs)
I’ve been there and
trust me there are more awkward moments when you wish you could literally enter
the ground.
Folly means
different things to different people. To one person, it is spending money on
something you never would use, to another it is responding to a question before
it is completely asked and to some other person, it could be constantly making
wrong decisions.
I often hear people
say one is foolish when he/she fails to display “common sense” in a matter. The same people eventually admit that “common
sense is not common at all”. (Laughs)
You see, folly
isn’t often obvious at first until the repercussion of our action takes its
toll on us. This is why I have put this
piece together to help us (you and I) watch out for “folly” so we can rather
walk in wisdom.
1. DENIAL:
The act of asserting that something or a statement is not true. A good example
would be when one denies the existence of God. Psalms 14:1 says, “The fool says
in his heart, “there is no God.” I
understand how life can make us get a twisted look on reality especially when
we’ve been dealt tremendous blows during times we expected God to act on our
behalf. However, we must know that our perception NEVER changes the TRUTH about
REALITY. Click to Tweet This
God
exists whether our wishes come true or not.
Other
ways people demonstrate this shade of folly is when they just won’t accept the
truth about a situation in their life. Some people take it to be walking by
faith. They often don’t realize that Faith acknowledges the situation and then
places trust in God to help with the situation. Instead they totally deny that
the situation exists. One area where we often make that mistake is in our health.
Some people think taking drugs is demonstrating distrust to the healing power
in the name of Jesus.
I
believe that the medical sciences are a demonstration of God’s wisdom. It is
God who helps researchers find solution to the various plagues on man’s health.
There
are moments when God heals THROUGH medical sciences and there are moments when
He heals simply by a word of prayer. It’s
just like cases were one woman experiences vaginal birth and the other brings
forth through Caesarian Operation (CS). Would we say that the later brought
forth a less human? It’s the same thing with getting healed through medical
support or without it. Healing is healing my dear.
Look
love, just so you know I’m not speaking out of ignorance; here is my story.
At
age 9 I was diagnosed with Asthma. It was a terrible season in life for me. I
used inhalers and often got injected with aminophiline and crysta-something. I
remember when I got into the boarding house at age 12, ventolin tablets were a
high priority on my provision list. To cut a long story short, I had to live
with that from age 9 till I was 14. The doctor had said I had to live with it
for the rest of my life if I don’t outgrow it at age 16. I didn’t want to wait till
I was 16.
Then
one day, I had an attack and I said, “God, I’m not going to use my inhaler. I
have to get healed today! If I die you are going to explain to me when I come
to Zion how this crap is supposed to take my life. You said I was healed by
your strips so now I have to be healed”. It was a tough tough one. That term I
had returned to school without my inhaler and I hid all the ventolin tablets my
parents got for me therefore, when this attack came, I was either going to die
or get healed.
You
know I dint die cos I’m writing this. The attack calmed and I eventually got a
hold on air.
It
wasn’t easy trust me and yes, it was a big risk.
What’s
my point? Asthma had no cure at the time. I had just one option-JESUS and I chose Him. I acknowledged
my condition. I tried to avoid triggers and when I eventually had an attack, I
held on to him. Till date, I’m asthma free even though I’m still sensitive to
cold like other normal people.
Whether
God heals through medical sciences or not? Healing is healing. Embrace it!
Afterall, there are people who use all the medical care and eventually die.
Doctors even tell you, “We cure but God Heals”.
So
darling, DENIAL is FOLLY.
2. CORRUPTION:
The act of being immoral or dishonest.
Psalms 14:1 says, “The fool is corrupt”.
Most
people associate immorality with the sins of fornication and adultery but
immorality transcends those. It encompasses everything that opposes the
standard of God and godliness.
We
are often faced with options and have to consciously prepare to choose right
over wrong.
Every
form of corruption (wrong doing) is folly.
3. SIMPLICITY:
The state of being easily convinced gullible and taking things at face value.
Proverbs
14:15 says, “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well
to his going. Proverbs 8:5 says, “Oh ye simple understand wisdom”.
I
already trashed this one on an earlier post. CLICK TO READ more on the folly of
simplicity.
4. SCORN:
This is otherwise known as mockery. It is the act of deriding God’s word or
rebelling against His instruction. Proverbs 14:6 says “A scorner seeketh wisdom
and findeth it not but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
Why
would a scorner seek wisdom and not find it? It is because you can never access
what you deride. Click to Tweet This
God’s
word is wisdom. God’s counsel is wisdom. If you mock it, you will stay foolish.
#Selah
5. CONTENTION: Most of us have strong opinions that we wish to
express in the heat of an argument. Proverbs 18:6 says, “A fool’s lip enter
into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes.”
I’ve
always been an opinionated person. I’m hardly in the middle on a matter. I
often know what I want and I can adequately tell you in plain English. There
were times when that felt like a great gift and there were times when life said,”Annie,
you have to shut up”.
Proverbs
29:11 says, “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till
afterwards (the right time).” KJV emphasis added.
Have
you ever been beaten up for something you said? Have you ever lost a friendship
or relationship because you couldn’t hold back your opinion? Then you need the wisdom
of “shut-up and Let-go”.
Sometimes,
it doesn’t matter who is wrong or right. What matters most is knowing when you
should hold your tongue rather than argue.
Contention
is folly.
6. SLANDER:
Oh the effectual use of the tongue to kill the image of others. This skill has
been for centuries and is highly possessed by fools. Proverbs 10:18 says, “He
that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool.”
Truth
be told, you really can’t like everyone at least not to the same degree. However,
we shouldn’t say we love them while they watch and go right behind them to make
them walking corpses in the eyes of others.
Be
honest with yourself. Don’t go about telling people you don’t like them.
Neither should you say you like them when you don’t. Doing so is being foolish.
If
you’ve got issues with someone, first talk to God before you talk to them. This
is because the wisdom to relate with men is given by God never by our emotions.
I’m learning to do this often too.
Read: Slander
7. I-TOO-KNOW (ITK):
The act of trusting your ignorance because you are the only one who doesn’t
know that you don’t know. Proverbs 28:26 says, “He that trusteth in his own
heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
It’s
folly to think that we can single handedly know all about a matter or embark on
projects successfully.
We
should seek counsel often.
The
3 places to seek counsel are
1.
The word of God (scriptures)
2.
A professional
3.
The Holyspirit
4.
A trusted/mature believer
5.
Research materials
Hey! Thanks for reading
Committed to your
Anne Atulaegwu
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This is great.everyone should read this
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea! Feel free to share
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