It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5 (ESV)
Solomon is teaching us something special here. Why would it ever be better to be strongly corrected, especially versus the songs (about how great I am) by fools? People are singing my praises and Solomon is telling me to forget about them and to concentrate on the correction a proven wise person gives me. A strong reason here is that the ‘songs’ of fools are nothing more than the cheering crowds that think you are great, no matter how poorly you treat them. In today’s terms, this could be a political opponent’s unbalanced, screaming supporters. Some politicians have used the times against the people and are working to curtail rights and freedoms, thereby destroying the United States of America. Instead of listening to the wisdom of established, Godly people, some decide they have a better agenda, and some have even sold their office.
More and more people are guilty of this, especially in America. People have come to the point of extreme humanism combined with an unprecedented level of ignorance. Current activists tell you how bad everything and everyone is according to them, but when confronted with the reality of life, they either begin to get violent or they shut down, all because of cognitive dissonance. The reality is so different from what they had envisioned that they simply are unable to accept it. These are the ignorant fools of today. They trust in their own limited understanding of a subject instead of trusting the one that created it all. I am guilty of this sin myself. We all are. Every time we build upon our understanding, our project is sure to fail. Only God has the wisdom to point out the real pitfalls and fools, and I really need to listen more closely.
The crowd thinks it knows what is best, and history proves otherwise, at least to me it does. Being careful to who I listen to might be more important than what I listen to. Keeping the counsel of the wise is far better than listening to the applause of fools. Who cares who gets the credit or the fame or glory? If I was half as famous as I used to want, I would never have time to myself. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, not because you get the credit. Share the credit because it is about the relationship, not the money.
God is wise. God is the epitome of wisdom. God will let you know where you need to improve by using the wise to rebuke you. This does not mean God is judging you, rather think of it as a long-term personality improvement plan. The best part is that God wrote the program, all you have to do is follow it to the best of your ability. You will mess up. Its Ok. All of us mess up every day. Don’t let it stress you. Just keep working to improve, bit by bit. But not too small of a bit.
‘Eh Pule Kako
Father in heaven, forgive us as we listen to the world instead of concentrating on Your still small voice. We allow ourselves to be slaves to the sins of today, please Lord, open our ears to hear Your guidance that leads in a righteous path. We understand this requires our actively listening heart. Thank You Father, in the holy name of Your Son, my savior, The Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. Amen and Amen.