The WOFOYO Podcast
The WOFOYO Podcast
WOFOYO Short: Foolishness 3-When Everyone's Shouting, Wisdom Whispers
Foolishness surrounds us. From social media hot takes to street protests, we're witnessing cycles of reaction without reflection—exactly what ancient wisdom warned against. This episode dives deep into Proverbs 29 and 30, examining Solomon's timeless insights on dealing with fools in a world that increasingly resembles one.
"If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace." This single verse captures why so many of our attempts at meaningful dialogue fail. We explore why arguing with those unwilling to consider other perspectives leaves everyone frustrated, and how wisdom sometimes means knowing when to remain silent. As Mark Twain famously suggested, it's "It's better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
What makes this teaching particularly relevant today is our constant exposure to information requiring immediate reactions. The foolish respond instantly with feelings rather than thought, while Wisdom calls for pause and reflection. We examine the challenging balance between grace and consequences through King David's story—how his forgiveness didn't eliminate the ripple effects of his actions with Bathsheba. This serves as a powerful reminder that none of us can outrun the natural outcomes of our choices, forgiven though we may be.
The pathway forward isn't complicated but requires courage: be the one who breaks cycles of foolishness by thinking before speaking, listening to spiritual guidance rather than emotional impulses, and returning to ancient wisdom for direction. Whether you're facing workplace drama, family conflicts, or trying to navigate polarized social issues, these principles offer a steadying influence in unsteady times.
Ready to grow in wisdom? WOFOYO—get in the word for yourself.
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Hey everybody, welcome to another Wofo, yo Short. This is C-Dub. We're going to be diving right back in to Proverbs talking about what it is to be a fool, because you're going to have to deal with them. We left off at Proverbs 28, so we're going to go right into Proverbs 29. Proverbs 29.9.
Speaker 1:If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace. Proverbs 29, 11. A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. Reminds me of an old Mark Twain saying I think I mentioned it before. Reminds me of an old Mark Twain saying I think I mentioned it before better to keep your mouth shut and look stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Also, the previous one there's no winning an argument with a fool. He's either going to laugh or he's going to just get really, really upset. It's hard to win that. Proverbs 29.20,. Do you see a man hasty in his words? There's more hope for a fool than for him. Keep that in mind in today's age, where all the information keeps coming to you, coming to you, coming to you, coming to you, because all of a sudden you can't adjust, you can't give it true thought.
Speaker 1:Proverbs 30. This one is actually a passage. Let's read this in context For three things the earth is perturbed yes, for it cannot bear up For a servant when he reigns, a fool when he is filled with food, a hateful woman when she is married. And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. When those things happen, it just all goes to hell. Proverbs 30, 32 through 33.
Speaker 1:If you have been foolish in exalting yourself or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth Shut up, for as the churning of milk produces butter and the ringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife. So why am I bringing all this up? In today's environment, what we're seeing is a lot of foolishness, and we're not just seeing a lot of foolishness. We are seeing a lot of foolishness that is leading to more foolishness, and if somebody is going to break that cycle, it has to be you. Lord knows. I keep my mouth shut more than you all would ever know, for the simple reason you can't answer a fool like a fool. One of the trademarks of foolishness is simply this you can't receive instruction, you won't learn, you won't ever say hey, wait a minute, I was wrong. I'm going to give some critical thinking to this issue. Fools a lot of times. Just simply don't think. Fools feel, and as I'm recording this, man, you got riots out in LA protesting the immigration and all this and everybody's voicing their opinion, and just keep this in mind Consequences are a son of a gun and you're not going to outrun consequences.
Speaker 1:Bones and I have talked about this, because Bones talks a little bit more about grace than I do. Man, I see a balance to grace and where the law fits in. I think they are two sides of the same coin. However, in discussing that, we always mentioned the story about David and Bathsheba. So, after all that ordeal goes down, david has Uriah the Hittite killed. He's done, knocked up Bathsheba. He's done some shady things, as have you and I, but the Lord tells him, through Nathan the prophet, that this child's going to die. He fasts, he prays, he does all this other stuff and guess what? The child dies. Was David forgiven? Had he repented? Yes, he had. He offered sacrifices, all this stuff.
Speaker 1:However, that being said, the issue of what he did with Bathsheba and with Uriah the Hittite, there were repercussions that followed him throughout the rest of his reign as king. So just keep this in mind, you are not exempt and I am not exempt from the repercussions for our actions. It behooves us, especially when surrounded by fools, to take a minute to think, pray about it internally. I mean, we don't have to go away and seclude ourself in a monastery, but just take a minute and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying, because there's a bunch of people that do nothing but feel, and there's a lot of those who want to chalk that up to the Holy Spirit. Nope, a lot of times what the Holy Spirit's telling you is contrary to your carnal feelings, even to your doctrine at times, which is what causes you to draw near to God and not unto man's philosophy and ideas. That being said, you kind of balance that with the word and these are these proverbs written by Solomon, who's supposed to be the wisest man that ever lived other than Jesus, and therefore it behooves you to get you some of that wisdom.
Speaker 1:Pray and get in the word for yourself. Wofo Yo, hey, everybody, thanks for listening. We hope this causes you to take a look at yourself and see where there might be room for improvement. I know it does with me. You can always check us out at wofoyoorg or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, spotify or Audible. Check us out on wofoyoorg. Or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, spotify or Audible. Check us out on YouTube. For Bones and Myself, this is Cedar reminding you if you're going to grow, you've got to wofoyo. Get in the word for yourself.