February 21

“The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.” Proverbs 10:8-9

Have you ever met anyone who couldn’t take instruction? Usually, this type of person will remain in the same place for many years. We will refer to this type of individual as “the foolish man” for the remainder of this written entry. The “foolish man’s” defensiveness often speaks of his refusal to embrace the painful process of growth. His refusal stems froman incorrect view of fruitfulness.

Just as a vine must be pruned in order to produce more fruit, so in a sense, our hearts must be “pruned”. More often times than not, this is a painful procedure and always causes somediscomfort. It’s funny because usually “the fool” is quick to give his or her “professional opinion”. They delight in rambling about their vast knowledge and unique experiences. However, most people don’t really want to listen to them. Here’s why: without realizing it, they have stunted their spiritual growth and they cannot produce fruit.

On the flip side, the “wise man” is glad to be instructed. Why? Because he has a healthy awareness of his weaknesses and asimple understanding that he cannot bear fruit without the pruning of others. God is so gracious to us in this way. He plants us in an environment where we are pulled and tugged by others. This pulling and tugging stimulates growth.

Verse 9 refers to those who walk in integrity. “Integrity”, according to Webster, means, “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” Wikipedia also describes integrity as “internal consistency”. According to this verse, the result of integrity is security on the journey. You see, the man of integrity “walks” or lives consistently. His present path is firm because of his past decisions to live rightly. The “foolish man” lacks integrity and therefore even his judgments are crooked. He is never completely sure which path to walk because his heart isn’t anchored in truth. Ergo, he slips and falls.

May God give us fresh grace each day to embrace the miraculous process of growth and to walk faithfully before Him that our path may be firm.

Blessings,

Lauryn E.