Consider Stupidity

(In the title of this sermon I've rephrased Bildad's wording. The emphasis and tense are mine, not Bildad's.)

In Job 18.3 Bildad is reproaching Job, again. This time he asks a loaded question. My advice to Job would have been, "Be wary, Job. Don't answer that."

It's a question that falls into the category of 'Really Dumb Things Parents Say.' Remember Calvin and Hobbs? Calvin is sitting beside a coffee table with a hammer in one hand and nails in the other. The coffee table is fairly bristling with nails sticking out from its surface at all angles.

Calvin's mother enters the room and with bold-print emphasis says, "Calvin, what on earth are you doing?" Calvin's little thought blurb ponders, "Is that a trick question?"

Another cartoon (I think it was Dennis the Menace) from my past surfaces with a little boy's father saying in exasperation, "Do you think I'm stupid?!" The look on the boy's face pretty much indicated he was smarter than to 'go there.'

The Bible talks about things, and people, which are 'vexations' to the spirit. If you had your own dictionary you might have a difficult time narrowing down whose picture would be there in the definition of 'vexation.' I think Job would have had three photos...

Oh how wonderful to have pious friends. At a bar down on Dickson Street at least you stand a chance of a commiserator saying, "been there...I hear you." Why can't God's people have at least the grace of a commiserating bar patron? Oh, I know some do, there's just not enough of them and it doesn't happen with regularity.

More predictable is Job's situation there with Bildad, who was asking, almost rhetorically, 'do you think we are stupid?' Yes, my advice to Job would have been, "Be wary, Job. Don't answer that." In the 'kingdom' one frequently needs to be reminded that anything you say can and will be used against you. Be wary!

While the apostle encouraged us to "confess our sins one to another..." that was assuming a spiritually functional 'Body.' It is important to have that kind of relationship with fellow Christians. However, one must be sure the person has proven compassionate and doesn't have the 'gift' of gossip or a weak ego, or a personality disorder. You need to know that person well.

Keep a perspective. Consider that some of the comments and advice you will receive not only sound stupid, it IS stupid. If you can't rephrase it and make any more sense of it than it initially sounded...it probably shouldn't have been said and certainly shouldn't be weighted as anything spiritual or profound.

Too many folks fall into the category of the Corinthians to whom Paul wrote, "there aren't many among you who are wise..." Yet, these same folks frequently seem to feel compelled to offer some piece of advice or instruction.

Be wary. The apostle Paul said we must "Try the spirits," we must be discerning. Simply stated, don't swallow everything you hear just because it came from a Christian. 

On one occasion the most timely advice came from a donkey.