Walk of Life – Day 26, September 2020 – Thoughts From The Book of Proverbs
Proverbs 26:4-5 “Answer not a fool… Answer a fool….”
Few years back I had been to a company along with my friends. All of us were new to the environment as well as the systems working there. We were told by the receptionist to enter a room and wait there till we get further instruction. We had to go through a glass door which was closed. We tried pulling and pushing the door but the door did not open. Seeing our struggle, an employee of that company came smiling to us. She showed an id card to a sensor which was fixed to that door and the door automatically opened.
In the above two verses, we find two instructions which are quite contrasting to each other. One says to answer a fool and the other says not to answer a fool. How will we know which fool deserves to be answered?
A fool by definition is an unwise person. Obviously, their thoughts and their doubts are also unwise.
When we try to answer a fool, we appear as fools in some contexts. In other words, we get trapped in the foolish conversation and forget what we are talking about. In other contexts when we remain silent when a fool talks, we appear as if we are supporting his thought. Both are equally disastrous.
Just like the door which has a sensor and allowed the people who worked in that company, even we as the children of God have a sensor that is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit directs us in answering the people only when we come under His subjection.
What if the sensor did not work? Every random person could enter the office which is a clear threat to it. In the same way, if we do not bring ourselves under the control of the Holy Spirit, our senses will function as they like, welcoming all troubles.
The latter part of each of the phrases grants some guidance on when to answer and when not to answer. In every case it is important to understand where the questioner comes from, the content of the question, and his/her attitude. Proverbs 26:4 says do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you be like him. In this case, your questioner does not want to learn anything, he is just argumentative and his motives are not right. This is demonstrated in the life of Christ how he handled questions in several occasions. He never directly answered the Pharisees instead he asked them further questions that they could not answer.
Proverbs 26: 5 says Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit. This can be explained in the incident in the life of Job. When his wife says curse God and die, he does not keep silent but admonishes her and says “why are you speaking like a foolish woman”. When someone is genuinely saying something and it is a foolish statement, it definitely needs to be admonished.
In our spiritual walk, we find many people who question our faith in different ways. Answering every question is not our job. Sometimes when you answer, it gives rise to unnecessary debates and at other times, your answer can win that soul for Christ. So, do not be in a hurry to do what you like. Always wait upon the Lord who fills your mouth with the correct answer. Psalm 81:10 “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
