Proverbs 1:22: The joys of simplicity

[Wisdom says:] “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”
-Proverbs 1:22

My wife (I do like saying that, and it’s only been true for a little over a week now) is a teacher, and I often hang around teachers, and so I’ve heard many stories about the general reactions kids have when teachers try to teach something.

It isn’t always good.

Which is a foreign concept to me, since I devour books at every opportunity. I love them. I love learning. But then, it’s important to me.

It’s not to a lot of people.

I know some people who voted in this last election that didn’t spend a single moment looking at issues. Actually, a couple of people I know looked at the issues, but fully admitted that they made their decision based on race.

And then the most blatant example of all: boy bands. People keep buying CDs by boy bands.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we live in a world where people love being simple. They hate knowledge, and they want nothing to do with truth. They want to follow their own ways.

And they make fun of people who go the other way. I cannot tell you how many times people make fun of me for going to church or reading books. Seriously, reading books. We live in a world where people make fun of you for READING.

The world tells us that Angelina Jolie’s newest baby is earth-shattering news, but seeking to secure our eternal soul is fodder for mockery and scorn. Are we going to deny that a world in which two generations go wild over New Kids on the Block is a fallen one?

I say that half in jest, of course, but only halfway. The people around you, the people on the street, at work, in the grocery store, flee from beauty and truth in every step. They hate these things. They pretend that their way is the right one, and yet they cannot even bring themselves to research their vote for the President of the country.

So many people trust Oprah and Tom Cruise for their spiritual security as well. Why? Because they love being simple. They delight in scoffing.

Truth should be sought. We should run through the streets, seeking out Wisdom. As a matter of first importance we should figure out how eternity is going to be, and then worry about our 70 years here on earth.

Jesus tells us that He is “the way, and the truth, and the life.” He is the path for eternal life. He is Wisdom. Even though we love being simple, even though we delight in scoffing, He came to us to offer us a way out of our pettiness and to life.

In His death He paid the price for our wasted lives. Even though we deserve no better than damnation because of our selfishness, greed, lust, and pride, He took on our punishment so we could take on His righteousness.

I ask you to repent of your love of ignorance, your scoffing, your sin. Turn away and run toward Him. Let Him be truth in your life.