Description
Proverbs 17:10 invites us to ask: Are we people of understand? Or fools?
Proverbs 17:10
A rebuke goes deeper into a man… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Have you heard of the Dunning Kruger effect? Did you know that it’s in the Bible? Let’s look at Proverbs 17, verse 10. A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.
Now with the Dunning Kruger effect, somebody who’s not very competent in an area is convinced that they are more competent than others. And what we’ve got here is the same kind of thing. You’ve got somebody who’s a fool, who no matter how much you tell him he’s wrong, he’s not going to believe you. You could use corporal punishment. He still wouldn’t believe you.
Whereas the wise person, the man of understanding, will accept the rebuke. And the challenge for us, obviously, with this proverb is to question, which are we? Do we receive rebukes with grace? Do we question whether or not how we’re being corrected is correct? Do we listen?
Do we take a rebuke to our Father in heaven and say, God, is this right about me? Have I gone wrong somewhere? Do I need to change? Can you help me?
The Bible is a very, very practical book, isn’t it? It’s spiritual, it’s mystical, but it’s also so practical. There’s such wisdom in here- Dunning-Kruger thousands of years before its time, showing us how to be humble.
Lord God, thank you that you train us, that you instruct us. Thank you that you lead us into better understanding of you, into greater humility, knowing that we can never be as wise as our God. So let us lay down our lives before you and accept your instruction and your direction.
Lord, may we not be that fool that requires a hundred blows and still doesn’t understand. We want to understand what you want to teach us, God. Amen.
