Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
–Proverbs 22:15
Back in college, I had a friend who seemingly always commentated after viewing a gaffe, error or life-altering experience of someone close to him. He would observe what a person was going through, wait until the moment had passed and then inquire if they were aware of the mistake. He would speak up after various life experiences, ranging from relationship struggles to sports blunders or financial crisis. I recall he once asked me, in a calm tone, “You know you ran through that red light, right?”
I responded, “No, I didn’t even see it!” I went on to ask, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He peered into my eyes, speaking in a slow, deliberate, rhythmic tone and said, “You must learn — from your — foolishness!” Everyone in the car laughed. Although we should have been startled after running through a red light, we were laughing uncontrollably as our friend found another moment to remind us of our foolishness.
We don’t always get to learn from our foolishness in this manner. In fact, there may even be moments when we are corrected in the midst of our foolishness. Whether in the middle of our folly or after the act, this correction may not feel good, and it definitely may not evoke laughter. But one thing that correction can do is put us on the right path.
This wisdom text (Proverbs 22:15) speaks to an individual who is arrested — mentally or spiritually — but gains an advantage because another took the time to share discipline.
Experiences and behavior shape the moral development of a child. While children learn many lessons in morality, they sometimes choose to settle on landing spots — almost waiting to see if they will be challenged to move forward by a new lesson of correction. Some may find ways of avoiding correction, placing themselves in environments where they are not challenged to do what is right. And some may encircle themselves with peers who think like they do, avoiding opportunities to see and hear a different perspective on a matter.
If a parent can pay attention to the foolishness in the heart of a child and intervene consistently, with discipline rooted in love, that child will see that having their way cannot compare to the wisdom gained; in turn, that will get them through life’s most difficult moments.
The challenge is for us adults as well. We should be open to receiving the discipline of our Heavenly Father and those He places on our paths, which removes the foolishness that is bound up in our hearts.
As we prepare for the new year, let us be willing to leave the cozy confines of our homogenous environments and explore right living. Let us be willing to speak and listen to people outside of our comfort zones of dialogue and model right living.
We all might be surprised; the more we get closer to others through God’s corrective wisdom, the farther we move from the foolishness of our own heart.
—Carl Ricketts Jr., MDiv, is director of Chaplain Services for Loma Linda University Medical Center.
