Stupid Has a Cure

(Proverbs 30:2 KJV)  Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

How often do we feel this way?  It hits me on occasion.  It probably should more often.  This is almost on the level with admitting that we have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  There is a measure of humility if we are admitting this to ourselves and not just making it a part of our mantra, looking for people to deny it.

Being “brutish” (stupid NASB) (1198) is like being born a sinner.  It is a condition that we did not cause but we can do something about.  In modern English stupidity is not really something we can change but the Hebrew word has the idea of being on the level of an animal.  This comes through in the KJV.  That we can change.  Just as sin is dealt with by calling on God, so it animal behavior.  It is inferred all through Proverbs that conditions like this can be changed.  Look at the next verse where it adds wisdom and knowledge to the list.

So why admit our limitations?  If we don’t admit we are off course we can never change direction.  The first step to finding your way is to admit that you are lost.  It is a standing joke that men will not ask for directions.  One symptom of this is looking for something in a strange grocery store.  I could ask a clerk but I don’t do that until I have gone through the entire store twice.  Admit your need and ask for help.  That help can come from the written word, good books or the mouth of mature believers.  Now let’s see if I can practice what I preach.