Fear or Fools

This past year I took a survival course. The instructor, Sam Larson, won season 5 of the television series Alone by surviving in Mongolia for 60 days. I have always enjoyed the outdoors and understand the basics, but it would be fair to say Sam has forgotten more about wilderness survival than I know. He’s an expert, I’m not.

There was also a dad and his adolescent son in the class. They were very nice people and enjoyable to have in the class, but I was a bit amused by the son. On several occasions the boy felt compelled to inform Sam that he did things differently and why his way worked better. Sam would patiently ask some questions and explain why the boy may want to consider a different way of doing something. Often the boy would shrug his shoulders as if to communicate he wasn’t convinced.

On one hand I had to smile at this young boy who had probably never been in a true survival situation offering advice to a seasoned expert. On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t so funny. The boy was just learning and growing and flexing his muscles a bit. It was harmless enough. But I see too much of this same behavior in myself and it’s not so amusing. Why do I sometimes seem to think I know better than the Creator and Designer of the universe? Why do I tell the expert my way is better?

It all goes back to the beginning of the story in Genesis 3. As a person made in the image of God I have been given both the ability and responsibility to represent God in the world. David describes it as having been “crowned with glory and majesty” (Ps. 8). Beautiful.

But the great temptation for people made in the image of God is to believe I can be God. This is not simply a temptation; this is THE great temptation we all face. There is no one exempt from this. There is something deep within us all that longs to be our own God. We all want to run our own lives.

The Serpent in Genesis 3 knew this. How could he possibly tempt Adam and Eve when they had everything they needed? What could possibly tempt them away from the paradise they’d been given?  The answer in a word: more. The Serpent convinced them that they could have even more if they were in charge. If they were running the show. If they functioned as their own gods. 

Why do we, like Adam and Eve, give into the temptation to be our own god? Because we believe life will be better with me in charge. Think of it this way. All of us have legitimate needs that we long to have met. God has promised to meet those needs in His way in His time. But if we don’t trust God to meet those needs, we start to think we need to do it ourselves. Every temptation is the solicitation to meet a legitimate need through illegitimate means. I’ll do it my way. I’m telling God, the expert, I have a better way.

In the weeks ahead we’ll get more into specific areas of temptation but for this week it’s good to consider the big picture. This is what is happening every time I deal with temptation. Do I trust God or am I going to do this my way? Will life be better with me in charge? The fool thinks so.

Fools despise wisdom and instruction. There are several different flavors of fools in Proverbs. This one is the know-it-all fool. This is why he despises counsel. He doesn’t want a coach. He doesn’t need help. He’s the expert. He knows better. The theme song for the fool is, “I Did It My Way.”

Our culture is full of fools. Every time we reject God’s morality for our own way we’re playing the fool. We know better. Don’t tell me what to do. Every time we disobey God’s commands we’re being foolish. I don’t need God telling me what to do, after all, I know everything. 

But for those who are serious about skillful living we must understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Knowledge in Proverbs is not about the accumulation of information. It’s about living out what is true. It’s about experiencing the life we long for. To truly experience skillful living, we must resign ourselves to the truth that He is God and we are not.

Fear here does not mean to be afraid. It means to revere or worship. To bow a knee and recognize He is God and worthy of our obedience and trust. I must come to Him in humility and awe and recognize my desperate need for Him to tell me how to live well.  His way must override my will. It’s a choice I make. I must truly desire for Him to tell me what to do.

We will come back to this issue again and again in the weeks ahead. This is where it all starts. Am I willing to surrender to His way or insist on my way? Will I be like that teenage boy telling the expert a better way or will I humble myself to listen and learn? Am I going to fear or play the fool?

For this week, what are the big issues in your life right now? Where is God asking you to trust Him? What are the legitimate needs you have right now that you feel aren’t being met? What would it look like for you to trust God in these areas? In what ways are you tempted these days to take charge and do things your way? Why don’t you believe God can be trusted in these areas? Do you or do you not want God to lead your life?