Growing older and more foolish

[LittleFaith]

I recently came across this article on the importance of giving humble counsel. It's a short but worthwhile read, maybe 3 minutes, for those who have the time. The author's opening remarks about the foolish arrogance of his younger years struck a chord with me.

The older I get, the more I realize how ignorant I am. Areas where I once used to have some pride or sense of self-achieved accomplishment? The Lord has visited upon me circumstances that have challenged every such area - one by one those dominoes have fallen. Like the author, I used to have a great deal of self-imagined knowledge on a variety of topics despite my lack of actual maturity or wisdom in those areas. I look at how unwise and sinful I am, and I ponder that, if this is me after 10 years of the Lord's work in my life, how much more foolish must I have been in the conceit of prior years.

What I find now is that I have a growing certainty and confidence in truths outside of myself - in God's sovereignty over my life and his infinite wisdom and care for me; in the undeniable authority and inspiration of every last verse of Scripture; in the Reformed and confessional summary and exposition of my Christian faith. But no longer do I think these things are right because I believe in them - the task before me being simply to demonstrate my obvious rightness to those around me. Now I view them as true of themselves, and myself as the humble aspirant who hopes by God's grace to live up to them more fully with each passing day, and if an extra measure of grace will allow, to be used of the Spirit in communicating these truths at least to those immediately around me, if nothing more. Not "let me show you what awesome things I believe" but "come with me to see something of great value, which if the Lord permits, I may be enabled to be of some use in describing to you".

My prayer is that, as the Lord confirms in me a deep and abiding sense of my own folly, he will in divesting me of self find more room in my heart for things above.

 

[Ed Walsh]

I recently came across this article on the importance of giving humble counsel. It's a short but worthwhile read, maybe 3 minutes, for those who have the time. The author's opening remarks about the foolish arrogance of his younger years struck a chord with me.

The older I get, the more I realize how ignorant I am. Areas where I once used to have some pride or sense of self-achieved accomplishment? The Lord has visited upon me circumstances that have challenged every such area - one by one those dominoes have fallen. Like the author, I used to have a great deal of self-imagined knowledge on a variety of topics despite my lack of actual maturity or wisdom in those areas. I look at how unwise and sinful I am, and I ponder that, if this is me after 10 years of the Lord's work in my life, how much more foolish must I have been in the conceit of prior years.

This problem is rampant in our day. Stupid people are changing social morals at the god level. The West's tried and true moral conventions are biting the dust one after another, Thinking to change the "times and seasons"–by taking on a god-like agenda.

Does the reader know this problem is embedded in the heart and soul of fallen man? Here's some more information about this "condition."

The Dunning-Kruger Effect: The Paradox of Our Ignorance​

Heads Up, fellow Know-it-alls, for nearly ALL Christians should consider this problem as it is all men's common life-dominating sin tendency. Christians are not excluded. Here's a link to a site that gives a pretty good overview of this "paradox." The presenter is named Mark Manson. –no relation to Charles.

Note: The website has an audio read-it-to-you feature, less than 9 minutes long.​

You may not be familiar with the secular concept. Still, we know that this Dunning-Kruger effect (in other words) is everywhere in our experience and a chief sin discussed ubicuously in Holy Scripture. What? Yup, I'll show you.

I can't elaborate now as I have other duties to attend. But here are three concepts to help you start to see if "you are the man" I am writing to.

This is a Ninth Command Issue​

Of First Importance – Know that this is not a harmless, laughable trait of a fallen man. In the 20th century–the bloodiest, for example, in the 20th century, Carl Mark's thoughts of man were the seed that left 50 million dead due to the socialism of one brand or another. Add another 50 million dead to we Americans. Abortion.

Proverbs 1:1-7​

The Beginning of Knowledge​

Proverbs 1:7
The Beginning of Knowledge
1. ch. 10:1; 25:1; 1 Kgs. 4:32; Eccles. 12:9 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2. To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,

3. to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in ch. 2:9righteousness, justice, and equity;

4. to give prudence to ch. 8:5; 14:15, 18 the simple,
knowledge and ch. 2:11; 3:21discretion to the youth—

5. Let the wise hear and ch. 9:9 increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtains guidance,

6. to understand a proverb and a saying,
ch. 22:17 the words of the wise and their Judg. 14:12; Ps. 78:2 riddles.

7 ch. 9:10; [ch. 15:33]; See Job 28:28 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Verse 7 shows that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

[the fear of God (unlike all others) this fear is the foundation of all knowledge.

Proverbs 26:1-12​

The Chapter About the Fool – NOT​

Why do I say NOT?
In this 12-verse passage, though we can learn much about the 'fool,' the primary interpretation is to startle the hearer out of his prideful self-assurance and restore him to a more humble reliance on God.

We'll talk more later.

Ed

 

[LittleFaith]

Thank you for those thoughts. I've heard of the Dunning-Kruger Effect before but it was interesting to read his suggestions on possible ways of addressing it. Of course, he is missing the ingredient of the Holy Spirit, and it's been interesting to see how God has done those various things in my life - putting me in situations where my shortcomings can't help but be noticed even by myself, peer pressuring me (church? fellowship? accountability?), helping me to let go of my idolatrous desire to rest in the comfort of knowing things.