I am a fool

Grace2022 · Jun 24, 2021

Yet I want to improve. I am finding Proverbs to be an enlightening process. I have a quick temper, not improved by belonging to a very argumentative family where I feel I must defend myself.
Proverbs 9 helps me know my own weakness. I blush! I would like to follow this the best possible advice. Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.
I will try! I fall very short.

SongOnTheWind · Jun 24, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Yet I want to improve. I am finding Proverbs to be an enlightening process. I have a quick temper, not improved by belonging to a very argumentative family where I feel I must defend myself.
Proverbs 9 helps me know my own weakness. I blush! I would like to follow this the best possible advice. Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.
I will try! I fall very short.

By God's standards we're all fools. However, some of us still can't admit it, and feel the need to act like we can do the impossible: know it all

Your humility is refreshing. I have the same questions as you, myself. It's interesting that there are so many 'teachers' around, who forget that we all still have oh so much to learn.

I love that you started this thread, I hope you get a healthy discussion going (we can pray, right?) and that we can get to the root, or the truth, of the matter.

Count me in :oldthumbsup:

SarahsKnight · Jun 24, 2021

SongOnTheWind said:
By God's standards we're all fools. However, some of us still can't admit it, and feel the need to act like we can do the impossible: know it all

Your humility is refreshing.

He's right, @Lilly54 . At least you are admitting your faults and times where you might be acting like a fool instead of a wise person, and you seem very earnest in wanting to do better. That's already more than what some can say.

Grace2022 · Jun 24, 2021

SongOnTheWind said:
By God's standards we're all fools. However, some of us still can't admit it, and feel the need to act like we can do the impossible: know it all

Your humility is refreshing. I have the same questions as you, myself. It's interesting that there are so many 'teachers' around, who forget that we all still have oh so much to learn.

I love that you started this thread, I hope you get a healthy discussion going (we can pray, right?) and that we can get to the root, or the truth, of the matter.

Count me in

Thanks! I am hoping that realising my faults and being open to learn will be a good start. I need to conquer myself and that is painful. I am at least aware that pride and arrogance are huge blocks to overcome. We all want to be in the right, win arguments. Yet ultimately the triumph is empty.
Only with God's help wisdom can be achieved.

Handmaid for Jesus · Jun 24, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Yet I want to improve. I am finding Proverbs to be an enlightening process. I have a quick temper, not improved by belonging to a very argumentative family where I feel I must defend myself.
Proverbs 9 helps me know my own weakness. I blush! I would like to follow this the best possible advice. Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.
I will try! I fall very short.

I think it is wonderful that you recognize that you need God's help.Years ago there was a secular song out that says :
Everybody plays the fool sometime
There's no exception to the rule
Listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel
I ain't lyin', everybody plays the fool

So you are in understanding company. I think every commenter can relate to your testimony. I know I can. But I take heart in knowing that He who began a good work in me is able to complete it. And when He is done with me, I will come forth as gold. So will you, so just be patient with yourself.

GirdYourLoins · Jun 24, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.

Being able to accept criticism is as much or more about the person giving it as the person receiving it. A kind word to help us improve is not the same as a bully trying to dominate someone through criticism.

SANTOSO · Jun 25, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Yet I want to improve. I am finding Proverbs to be an enlightening process. I have a quick temper, not improved by belonging to a very argumentative family where I feel I must defend myself.
Proverbs 9 helps me know my own weakness. I blush! I would like to follow this the best possible advice. Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.
I will try! I fall very short.

Dear one,
We have heard:

Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.-Psalms 107:17 NKJV

So were we not fools because of our transgressions, and because of our iniquities, we were afflicted ?

This is why we cried to the Lord, and the Lord saved us out of our distresses. We are glad that our dear Heavenly Father sent His word, that is, Christ — the grace of repentance, that we may be healed and delivered out of our destruction. So let us thank the Lord for the goodness of His steadfast love and praise His wonderful name.

So what have apostle Paul taught us :

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.-Romans 14:1 NKJV

Can we not dispute or argue ? Over doubtful things, we are encouraged not to dispute. Why ? This is what we have heard:

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. -2 Timothy 2:14 ESV

So when we dispute over doubtful things, it only ruins the hearers because we don’t build up our neighbors for his/her good in edification.

So when we consider the matter we dispute or argue, that is not doubtful. Can we dispute or argue ? We should carefully consider what our Lord has spoken in Matthew 18:15-20 and the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35, that we may gain wisdom.

Let us also consider what apostle Paul have said:

One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. -Romans 14:2 NKJV
Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. -Romans 14:3 NKJV
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. -Romans 14:4 NKJV

As apostle Paul relates to those who knew more as those eat, and those who knew less as those who don’t eat. This is how he describe how we are relate to those who are weak in faith, that we receive one another.

Yes, how wonderful grace of Christ toward us in loving kindness, even when we are weak in faith, that we are accepted in the beloved Christ.

As wisdom, we received:

Be of the same mind toward one another (according to Christ). Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.-Romans 12:16 NKJV

To God be the glory. Amen.

Confused-by-christianity · Jun 25, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Yet I want to improve.

That's good. Me too.

Lilly54 said:
I have a quick temper, not improved by belonging to a very argumentative family where I feel I must defend myself.

I would see this as practice. Like trying to complete a game. Fail, try again, fail try again, fail and on and on until eventually I get really good at keeping my temper.

Lilly54 said:
Proverbs 9 helps me know my own weakness. I blush! I would like to follow this the best possible advice. Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.

That's a tough one. It's hard spiritual work to get good at that.
I'm probably not the best at taking advice from, but none the less, I try the following:
Figure out who is talking sense and who is not. Seek out sensible people who are wise (you'll know who they are and you'll get better at finding them in future). Listen to them.
Of the criticism you receive, some of it will be ignorant chatter and some of it will be excellent advice from people who 1) Care about God, 2) Telling you because they love you, 3) Have sense
- figuring out who is who can be tough (and painful haha).

I find this thought helpful:
Spiritual growth - We all have to put the work in - bit by bit little by little.
There's no shortcuts, no cheats.
One day, we will be really advanced spiritual beings given a special job (I hope), and we will have an eternity of experience, failure and retrying to back us up. This will make us really quite special and very good at what we do.

???

HeartNSoul19 · Jul 13, 2021

All we can do is try, nobody is perfect and the human nature is that we might continually fall short of the perfection we might strive towards... this is human nature and the nature of life.

HappyHope · Jul 13, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Yet I want to improve. I am finding Proverbs to be an enlightening process. I have a quick temper, not improved by belonging to a very argumentative family where I feel I must defend myself.
Proverbs 9 helps me know my own weakness. I blush! I would like to follow this the best possible advice. Yet how many of us can hear criticism, accept it, learn from it and be grateful and wiser? A wise man uses rebuke to become wiser.
I will try! I fall very short.

Beautiful, humble authenticity. You aren't as foolish as you think.

Grace2022 · Jul 14, 2021

Happyhope
thanks. However, I am. I pray daily for forgiveness and yet I am not sure I do any better. I wish to control my mouth, not judge, not be hasty, not swear, have more patience, so many things.
I can but keep trying and keep praying for help.

SongOnTheWind · Jul 15, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Happyhope
thanks. However, I am. I pray daily for forgiveness and yet I am not sure I do any better. I wish to control my mouth, not judge, not be hasty, not swear, have more patience, so many things.
I can but keep trying and keep praying for help.

Extend that prayer to include all of us! It seems slow going sometimes, but as long as we continue in willingness and obedience, He will perfect His work in us. If we try our bet and don't go out of our way to fall back into these things, then His grace takes care of the rest. The clay needs to be soft enough to yield to the Potter. We're on His wheel, so maybe I should pray for more flexibility and suppleness! (Getting older is never easy, especially as a woman

)

HappyHope · Jul 16, 2021

Lilly54 said:
Happyhope
thanks. However, I am. I pray daily for forgiveness and yet I am not sure I do any better. I wish to control my mouth, not judge, not be hasty, not swear, have more patience, so many things.
I can but keep trying and keep praying for help.

Just acknowledging your weaknesses puts you in elevated category. Wanting to do something about them moves you up another notch. Asking for prayer and asking for the Lord’s help in your areas of weakness skyrockets you into wisdom. Stay there in the place you acknowledge faults and seek the Lord. You’ll grow quickly.

bèlla · Jul 16, 2021

The thing that really helped me was something I encountered in a chat room years ago. It was basically a free-for-all with a little monitoring. There were instances when someone would say something inflammatory and go off. It appeared they were genuinely upset. But I realized that wasn't the case. They were laughing in private.

It taught me an important lesson about self-control. I realized there were people who enjoyed goading and making others blow their top. I was able to spot the instigating and prodding. Some people love to argue. They live for it.

Over time I realized the futility of arguing and being drawn into situations that bring out the worst in me. Including people. I established a no argument clause in my connections and became more discriminating about the company I kept and began weeding them.

Some connections are edifying. We're mutually blessed and blossom in one another's company. Some are the reverse. They don't help me be the woman God desires. I look for iron now and people who combat my weaknesses. Not exacerbate them.

Acknowledging where I fall short is important. As is committing to change. Surrounding myself with people doing the things I'm trying to stop is counterproductive. I'm making it hard on myself.

Denial is the secret weapon. I have to say no to myself, to others, and situations that make me veer off course. It takes time to get to that point. But eventually you do. And you can weather the moments when things go awry but you don't spiral with it.

The other side of that is being around people who excel at the things you struggle with. They rub off on you. I make a point to do that.

~bella

SongOnTheWind · Jul 17, 2021

bèlla said:
The thing that really helped me was something I encountered in a chat room years ago. It was basically a free-for-all with a little monitoring. There were instances when someone would say something inflammatory and go off. It appeared they were genuinely upset. But I realized that wasn't the case. They were laughing in private.

It taught me an important lesson about self-control. I realized there were people who enjoyed goading and making others blow their top. I was able to spot the instigating and prodding. Some people love to argue. They live for it.

Over time I realized the futility of arguing and being drawn into situations that bring out the worst in me. Including people. I established a no argument clause in my connections and became more discriminating about the company I kept and began weeding them.

Some connections are edifying. We're mutually blessed and blossom in one another's company. Some are the reverse. They don't help me be the woman God desires. I look for iron now and people who combat my weaknesses. Not exacerbate them.

Acknowledging where I fall short is important. As is committing to change. Surrounding myself with people doing the things I'm trying to stop is counterproductive. I'm making it hard on myself.

Denial is the secret weapon. I have to say no to myself, to others, and situations that make me veer off course. It takes time to get to that point. But eventually you do. And you can weather the moments when things go awry but you don't spiral with it.

The other side of that is being around people who excel at the things you struggle with. They rub off on you. I make a point to do that.

~bella

I can relate. I can't stand a bully. I can fight back but I will not entertain every foolish notion they have going. Walking away is a power in and of its own.

Jesus is my Superhero · Aug 7, 2021

bèlla said:
The thing that really helped me was something I encountered in a chat room years ago. It was basically a free-for-all with a little monitoring. There were instances when someone would say something inflammatory and go off. It appeared they were genuinely upset. But I realized that wasn't the case. They were laughing in private.

It taught me an important lesson about self-control. I realized there were people who enjoyed goading and making others blow their top. I was able to spot the instigating and prodding. Some people love to argue. They live for it.

Over time I realized the futility of arguing and being drawn into situations that bring out the worst in me. Including people. I established a no argument clause in my connections and became more discriminating about the company I kept and began weeding them.

Some connections are edifying. We're mutually blessed and blossom in one another's company. Some are the reverse. They don't help me be the woman God desires. I look for iron now and people who combat my weaknesses. Not exacerbate them.

Acknowledging where I fall short is important. As is committing to change. Surrounding myself with people doing the things I'm trying to stop is counterproductive. I'm making it hard on myself.

Denial is the secret weapon. I have to say no to myself, to others, and situations that make me veer off course. It takes time to get to that point. But eventually you do. And you can weather the moments when things go awry but you don't spiral with it.

The other side of that is being around people who excel at the things you struggle with. They rub off on you. I make a point to do that.

~bella

Much wisdom in your words.

I learned to admit when I'm wrong. Also learned to admit when I don't know something.

SongOnTheWind · Aug 7, 2021

SarahsKnight said:
He's right, @Lilly54 . At least you are admitting your faults and times where you might be acting like a fool instead of a wise person, and you seem very earnest in wanting to do better. That's already more than what some can say.

Just seen this. I'm a she, lol

SarahsKnight · Aug 7, 2021

SongOnTheWind said:
Just seen this. I'm a she, lol

Understood. My apologies, Madam.

SongOnTheWind · Aug 7, 2021

SarahsKnight said:
Understood. My apologies, Madam.

Not to worry, my dear fellow

JerryinMass · Aug 19, 2021

Yep. Right there with you: fool here, too. After all the years of my life thinking "must do this, and must do that", that the Bible tells me I can't do it on my own, no matter how hard I try, God's saving grace is all I need. Thank you Lord. ❤

I am a fool

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Jesus Christ is this Knight's truth.

Well-Known Member

You can't steal my joy

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

❤️

Well-Known Member

Zealot

Well-Known Member

Jesus Christ is this Knight's truth.

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Similar threads