What a mess! Do you ever watch the
news and think, “People are idiots?” I do! It pains
me to watch society unravel. I hate the chaos. Is
all of it ignorance or just plain old stupidity?
There is a difference you know! There are many
things I’m ignorant about, such as plumbing, car
repair, and electrical wiring. But that doesn’t make
me stupid. It simply means I lack the knowledge
needed to do these things. (I know, you’re thinking
there are a lot of other things that make Ron
stupid. You’re
all very funny!)
Stupidity, on the other hand, is having knowledge
and making dimwitted decisions.
Stupidity is the guy who has heard all the warnings
about toasters and still chooses to put a fork down
one. Stupidity is the woman who has heard the
warnings about electricity and water and still
chooses to curl her hair in the bathtub. I’m sorry,
but this goes way beyond ignorance. Face it; people
are stupid.
It is because of this fact that manufacturers have
had to go to great lengths to warn people of all the
potential dangers of their product being misused.
Most product-
liability cases allege that a manufacturer failed to
sufficiently warn of the risk of using a particular
product. Remember the $2.7 million lawsuit against
McDonalds for scalding a customer with coffee? Now a
cup of coffee warns, “Caution: Contents Hot!” In the
word’s of my granddaughter, “Like Duh!” Warnings
abound:
• On a Superman costume: “Caution: For play only.
Cape does not enable user to fly.”
• On a toboggan: “Manufacturer advises users to
avoid trees, stumps, rocks, branches or manmade
obstacles. This product does not have brakes.”
• On a bag of Fritos: “You could be a winner! No
purchase necessary. Details inside.”
• On a frozen desert pie: “Do not turn upside down.”
(As printed on the bottom of the box.)
• On a clothing iron: “Do not iron clothes on body.”
• On a bottle of Nytol (A SLEEP AID): “Warning: may
cause drowsiness.”
• On a chainsaw: “Warning; Do not attempt to stop
chain with your hands.”
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Give me a break. Who needs
instructions and warnings like these? Stupid people!
Right? I don’t want you think that I’m just venting
here and that I have no point to make. I have a
point. And I don’t have to stretch to make it
either. Just as there is a difference between
ignorance and stupidity; there is also a difference
between
worldly wisdom and godly wisdom.
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before
God. He is the one who catches the wise in their
craftiness. The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are useless”(I Corinthians 3:19-20).
Paul further said of his time, “Professing to be
wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:18). The same
could be said of this time too.
All godly wisdom begins with just two things: the
bible and Jesus. So again to Paul’s wisdom: “Know
the sacred writings which are able to give you the
wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which
is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:15).
As long as people continue ignoring the scriptures,
as long as they continue disregarding God’s wisdom,
as long as they continue snubbing Christ, they’ll
continue being a messed up, broken, stupid people.
Hate will reign and hope will wane.
What we need most right now will not come from any
politician, nor political group, nor demonstration,
nor cause, nor protest, nor rally. We need godly
wisdom which comes from people who know the
scriptures and follow Jesus. Could that be you?
Ron Otto. Preaching
minister of Lincoln Christian Church |
