Proverbs 26 (Megan)
Proverbs 26:4 "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself."
Ok that makes sense. Don't answer the fool.
Proverbs 26:5 "Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes."
Um. . .ok so now I'm supposed the answer the fool? It appears that verse five completely contradicts verse four. Or does it? And why does this seem to be to applicable to guys I've dated? (just kidding).
But, seriously maybe it all depends on the situation. Having wisdom means knowing when to confront someone and when confronting them will be of no use and a waste of time. Trying to reason with someone who only had empty arguments will only make this person more proud and determined to win you to his or her side. I had a friend named Nathan whom I was crazy about, but he was so wrapped up in so many different worldviews that he had no convictions of his own.
Everything was relative for him. I could argue and try to reason with him for hours upon hours about the authenticity of the Bible and the reality of Christ. It never did any good. He had so much fun trying to "win" that he didn't care about truth because he wasn't seeking it.
Yet, sometimes we are supposed to say something to expose folly or sin. Personally, I find it more difficult to speak up when the Holy Spirit is telling me to testify. Saying nothing can be just as bad as 'answering a fool according to his folly' sometimes. Wisdom sure has a lot to do with when we should and shouldn't say something.
