Resist Foolish Engagement

Mark Twain wrote, “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” Hundreds of years before his birth, the writer of Proverbs warned about engaging with fools. While it might be tempting in the moment, we do best if we avoid quarreling with foolish people.

Many times if we are in situations such as a sporting event, there is the chance that one foolish person is in the crowd. He or she antagonizes, provokes, or stirs up frustration or anger in other people. It’s typically when it’s a tight game where emotions are running high. The worst thing we can do is take the bait and engage a fool in their folly.

It’s our pride that makes us want to engage the fool. We think we can outthink them, but we will eventually look just like them and no one will be able to tell which one is the fool. It’s better for us to turn away and refuse to engage them, especially if we are agitated by their behavior.

As believers in the Lord Jesus, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to control our emotions and discipline our tongues. We don’t have to have the last say in a disagreement. If we continue to resist the engagement with fools, we become better each time at walking away from it. Our spiritual maturity is at its best when we choose to be more like Christ and less like the world. In the big picture, it doesn’t matter what is said by the fool as much as our response to their taunts.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me resist engaging with the fools around me. I want to represent Christ in all of my actions and conversations. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In His Service,

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