“You Still Wet Behind the Ears…”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Yet you think you know everything [1 Corinthians 8:2]. YOU KNOW NOTHING! You better talk to some grown folks and be schooled [Proverbs 28:16]. You better talk to somebody who’s been there, done that! For life is not to be trampled on. Life is not to be wasted. [Ephesians, 5:15-17] says… “Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Don’t act thoughtlessly! God has given you a life to live for His glory and your good. Think it through, know what you’re here for, know your purpose, make the most of every opportunity, be wise and try to understand what God wants you to do.  I tell you humility is always the most desirable option, but I know you can’t tell that to a fool because a fool despises wisdom.  A fool despises instruction. A wise man will hear and will increase learning [Proverbs 12:15] but a fool takes no pleasure in understanding… [Proverbs 18:2]. Like I said, YOU KNOW NOTHING! Yeah talking to you is just like talking to a child. You can tell a child repeatedly that fire is hot, but they never really get it until they have been burned. [Proverbs 23:9]. When this happens, they can then relate to what hot means. It is a lesson they will never forget as long as they live, but it was a bitter lesson to have to learn. Unfortunately, we all seem to possess this same characteristic. We have to be burned before we can learn!

I want you to know that in reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I realized this was Solomon also: been there, done that, now what? Solomon wrote three books in the Bible: Song of Solomon — a romantic book, it’s filled with chemistry and love and great words that sizzle of his first love. Then he wrote Proverbs — a middle-aged man, successful. “Been there, done that.” Then he reveals his inner heart and soul —the book of Ecclesiastes. The end result is that he looks back and says, “I have lived a life under the sun. It was a life of emptiness, a life void of meaning.” Solomon — who was the wealthiest person who ever lived and evidently one of the most brilliant individuals who has ever lived — gets to the end of his life, after he’s accomplished all that he’d accomplished, and he says it’s all empty, it’s all futility, it’s all vanity. And he says, “Now what, now what? What is it all about, what did it mean?” He missed the meaning of life. [Ecclesiastes 2-3]. Don’t let that be said about you. Don’t be a fool, taking pride in what you perceive as your intelligence and wisdom. Such wisdom “is foolishness in God’s sight.”[Proverbs 15:9]. By contrast, trust the Lord, learn His wisdom from the Scriptures of the Bible, acknowledge Him and His ways, and you will be truly wise. If not, Jesus says, “He will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. [Leviticus 26:19]. Make no mistake about it!

I want you to know that the School of Hard Knocks is now taking enrollment. What is the School of Hard Knocks? It is a school for those who think they know everything. It is a school for those who say, “It’s my prerogative, I’ll do what I want to do!”  It is a school for those who leave God’s path and hate His rules. [Proverbs 15:10-20] The School of Hard Knocks…Location: Anywhere….Cost: Free – Initially. The faster you learn, the cheaper the course. WARNING: The costs could become high if the lessons need to be repeated several times. This course is ideal for those who meet the following criteria: [1.] Hearing impaired: i.e. you ignore advice and warnings. [2.] Egocentric: You believe that the world revolves around you. [3.] Perfect: The more perfect that you believe you are, the more you will benefit. [4.] Well educated: The smarter you think you are, the more you will learn what you don’t know. [5.] Stubborn: The more stubborn you are the more intense the training will be. Length of Courses: Anywhere from a moment to a lifetime -depending on how many repetitions of lessons you require. Curriculum: Curriculum is individually designed to suit each person’s areas of resistance. Instructors: None: The ‘hearing’ impaired don’t listen anyway. Graduation Date: Undetermined: When you discover that you aren’t nearly as perfect and smart as you thought. When the world no longer revolves around you. When you don’t need hard knocks to teach you. When you’re hearing ability is restored and you can listen to other people. On graduation: At the end you will be counted among the wise if you listen to advice and accept discipline” [Proverbs 19:20].

So what does this mean to you today? It means that if you desire to maximize your purpose and potential in life, before you die, you must maintain a teachable spirit.  If you ever get to the point where you refuse to learn you will not be fit for the Kingdom.  God’s rejects the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1^st Peter 5).  So be thankful for what you know, but know that you don’t know it all!

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” [Proverbs 13:18]

“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32]

Author: Lou Coleman