The more self-righteous a person is, the more foolish they are

Hello everyone, let's study Proverbs 26. I was afraid that I couldn’t speak well, and one obvious reason was that I felt that the things inside were too deep. The most important thing for us is not to listen to me, but to read the meaning of this chapter.

In the process of shepherding and serving, I have found that many people are ruining themselves. Why do people want to ruin themselves? My research results over the past few years can summarise the general idea: it is too difficult to serve and nurture someone. Especially those who are self-righteous. Later on, I concluded that to serve a self-righteous person, we must first have them eliminate their habits of self-righteousness.

If a person thinks they are smart, they cannot be served at all.

I discovered a wonderful thing: the most powerful people on earth are not self-righteous, such as top scientists and top leading figures in various industries. How can these people climb to the top positions in their industries? Because they are not self-righteous. The most important breakthrough I have researched over the years is the understanding of self-righteousness, but I did not find a basis for it.

In the past, when I read the Bible, I didn't fully understand that this chapter was talking about self-righteousness. But when I read this chapter again, I realized it was closely related to my years of experience in service and the concept of self-righteousness that I had summarized. So the theme of Proverbs 26 is: the corruption brought about by self-righteousness

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. (Proverbs 26:5 NIV)

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them. (Proverbs 26:12 NIV)

A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly. (Proverbs 26:16 NIV)

A person becomes foolish when they think they are right, and smart when they are free from self-righteousness. So I say, being self-righteous is ineffective; one must recognize their self-righteousness for it to be effective. As you live longer, you will slowly realize that everyone has their own set of theories. Even the most foolish person doesn't think they are foolish.

“Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.” Proverbs 26:1(NIV)

What does this statement have to do with being self-righteous? There is something very magical in this world. Sometimes foolish people sit in high positions like this, and some foolish people are very wealthy and born with a golden key. When a foolish person gains honor, many people believe it is due to their own intelligence, thinking that all these achievements are the result of their own wisdom.

I found that when people make money, they become confused because they believe that if they make money, they should be very spiritual, and wise, in line with God's will. But the fact is that whether you make money or not has nothing to do with how spiritual you are.

A boss opened a noodle shop somewhere. The business was very good, and this boss thought his noodles were good, and the ingredients for the soup were very good. There is nothing special about it, but the business is very good. Later, as soon as the landlord raised the rent, he moved to another place and continued to use the same flour, formula, supplier, and cooking method. But no one came to eat. Why? He thought the reason people came to eat his noodles was his good recipe. But in fact, it had nothing to do with his recipe. Doing business is a very spiritual thing, and I have observed that many people are like this. They don't know where the money came from and where it left.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. (Proverbs 26:2 NIV)

A while ago, there was a person who had cancer, and I wanted to pray for him. His body was originally very weak, but after praying, he became stronger. The serious side effects of chemotherapy were released. I prayed with this cancer patient, hoping that he would have a deeper deliverance. Because I have served cancer patients before, I have some spiritual knowledge about cancer.

During the deliverance process, the cancer patient told me that he didn't think that the cancer was a curse, and he referred to this verse. But I told him that the cancer was a curse. Although he earns more money than me, he can't outdo me in terms of education. The meaning of this sentence is that curses do not randomly come onto people. But he felt that curses should not be on his body, and he used this statement to prove that his situation was not a curse, which led to a dispute between us. We can't serve such arrogant people.

Being self-righteous means thinking oneself wise. The corruption brought about by being self-righteous is extremely profound, and no one or anything can change one's destiny, except yourself. An example of this can be seen in the Old Testament Bible, where Saul, a tall man with shiny hair, became the first king of Israel. He had the best priest Samuel, a great prophet like Moses. He had the best son Jordan, and the best son-in-law David. But his ultimate outcome still ended in ruin.

How to treat foolish people

Everyone should know that getting cancer is a curse, and disasters at home are closely related to curses. so the most important thing for people is their choices within themselves. No matter what, you must jump out of self-proclaimed wisdom and righteousness.
Everyone, please forgive me. You will find that I am here to serve you. When dealing with your arrogance, it may seem like I am self-righteous. But everyone should know that I am well-intentioned, I am trying my best to pull you out of your arrogance.

What ancestors believed doesn't matter much. Many people attach great importance to curses, but they don't know that curses come from God. So the most important thing for us is to learn to fear God. If you are not sure if the curse comes from God, I suggest you go to our website to listen to the Bible study of Deuteronomy.

I have written 34 chapters, 240000 words, summarizing the theme of Deuteronomy as "Blessings and Curses". You will find that a curse is from God to people. From the third chapter of Genesis, it can be seen that God has cursed Adam and Eve who ate the fruit from the tree. Curses come from God, and only those who don’t listen to God will have curses.

If you love your God with all your heart and soul, God will not curse you. God will continue to keep the covenant with you, loving you for a thousand generations. For those who hate God, God will punish them for their sins for three or four generations. This is what God said, originating from the Ten Commandments.

Cancer patients are often so arrogant, they require a large amount of patience to serve. It's not patience until he dies, but patience until he lives. Because I don’t know when he will be able to come out of self-righteousness.

In addition to cancer patients, there are also those potential cancer patients who are the same. If you just say a word to them, they will have lots of reasons to explain, as if they are doing well. I am very surprised about this. Some people just say, "Teacher, why are you so smart?" It's not because I'm smart, but because I'm not self-righteous. When I was self-righteous, I suffered, but after suffering, I changed quickly.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! (Proverbs 26:3 NIV)

This means that it is not easy to let people become smarter. And it is ourselves who stop us from being smart. Sometimes I point out the problem where they are not shepherding properly. The result is, he says to me: "Teacher, I used to think I could shepherd sheep.
How come now I don’t know how to shepherd anymore?" Oh, how arrogant! He thought he used to be able to shepherd, but in fact, he didn’t! He thought he was very good at it.

Brothers and sisters, we should know where arrogance comes from. Everyone should know that people should never think they are right or wise.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. (Proverbs 26:4-5 NIV)

This sentence means that if you pass by a place and see something unrelated to you, and then you take care of it, it's like grabbing a dog's ear. This is minding someone else's business. Don't get involved in things that have nothing to do with you.

It's like two people arguing about what three times eight is, one person says twenty-four and the other person says twenty-three. They argue so fiercely that they end up taking the matter to the county office. The person who said 24 was dragged out and beaten, feeling it was unjust. The magistrate says, "You wasted so many days arguing about this and even brought it to the cunty office. If I don't beat you, who will I should beat?".

So it depends on what your relationship is with the matter. If the person is not under my care, I wouldn't bother with it. But if you come into our midst and ask such a question, I will make sure to discipline you and make you wise.

How to tell if someone has knowledge

Many people feel that they have wisdom. The people who think they have the most wisdom are scammers. Taiwan and Malaysia are both places where pyramid schemes are most prevalent. They told me that the eye drops they gave me could make even the blind see. I said, "OK, why don’t you apply for the Nobel Prize?" These scammers thought they were very wise.

Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison. Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. (Proverbs 26:6-7 NIV)

Foolish people often take out verses from Proverbs. They don’t know whether or not what they are saying is right, but they say random things.

Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. (Proverbs 26:9  NIV)

Brothers and sisters, as we delve into our Bible study, I want to share something about my approaches. I have a particular habit: I like to ponder deeply and convey the most crucial concepts from others' teachings. Whether I am right or wrong, you should reflect carefully on what I say.

However, I've noticed that some people, when studying the Bible, will cover one topic from verses 1 to 5, another from verses 6 to 10, and yet another from verses 11 to 15, without connecting the content. Can this work? No. Each person is just talking about their own thing. Brothers and sisters, no matter what, we should know what we are doing.

Giving honor to a fool is like wrapping a stone in a sling. (Proverbs 26:8 NIV)

Isn't it harmful? Giving honor to a fool only makes them more self-righteous, more foolish, and causes trouble.

A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thornbush being handled by a drunkard. (Proverbs 26:9 NIV)

Can a fool still speak proverbs? I wish I weren't, but I might be. I hope everyone will give me good guidance.

Hiring a fool or a passerby is like shooting arrows randomly into a crowd. (Proverbs 26:10 NIV)

Brothers and sisters, don't hire fools; after being hired, they become arrogant.

I used to hire Christians, but I stopped later. I also don't know how Christians can become like this; maybe they didn't read Proverbs well. Or they read Proverbs, they read it according to their own meaning. If you hire a fool, many people will be injured.

I used to hire a Christian. We were from the same church. After she came, people around her were dissatisfied. Her supervisor came to me and said, "Boss, the employee you hired doesn't follow the rules." I had his supervisor call her over, and when she came, I asked her why she didn't follow the operation process step by step. She said something that choked me up. He said, "Why should I follow this process?"

After hearing this, I choked for a long time. My subordinates and her supervisor looked at each other and laughed. She didn't know as an employee, she should just do what her supervisor says. She can't come up with her own set.

She was also a group leader in the church. Later, she was reemployed by a pastor, almost causing the church to collapse. Therefore, hiring fools is like shooting arrows randomly into a crowd. Everyone must be careful when hiring people.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. (Proverbs 26:11, NIV)

Although we may think this is foolish, we still feel that our brains are very useful and intelligent. When a person is foolish, it's the same time and time again. Wherever he goes, others think he's so foolish, but he still thinks he's smart.

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them. (Proverbs 26:12 NIV)

The corruption of self-righteousness is very deep, even foolishness is better than self-righteousness. So we all need to ask ourselves, how much self-righteousness do I have?

Recently, when you search for "Minding Theology" online, all sorts of content related to Minding Theology appears. It seems that Mingding theology is very popular, but when you click on the links, you have a question: Is this the Mingding God talked about?

Come out of self-righteousness

Lazy people think they have knowledge and wisdom. I have been studying laziness for a long time and have been puzzled by it. Later on, I found out that lazy people never claim to be lazy, but feel that they do a lot of things and think that what they do is very smart.

A while ago, I served a person like this. He thought that at his job, he did a lot of work, but in reality, he did not do much work at all. He was doing bookkeeping. I asked him to calculate how many invoices he entered each day, and he said that some invoices were written very randomly and it was not easy to enter. But this can't deceive me. I said, "It’s okay, if there are some hard ones, then there are some easy ones too. Can you tell me how many photos were recorded in total?"

Then I asked him to bring all the invoices he received within a certain period and input them together to see how much his work was worth. It's very easy to calculate how long it takes for each invoice. He thinks he created lots of value for his company, but he didn’t.

A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. (Proverbs 26:13-15 NIV)

Lazy people always feel like they did a lot of work. They think even eating food is difficult. Don't think that putting food from the plate into your mouth is so easy, it's so hard!

A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly. (Proverbs 26:16 NIV)

Lazy people have their reasons for being lazy, but they are absurd. For me, I do all of the work in my house, and it doesn’t affect my job. I do everything quite well. Some full-time housewives feel exhausted, this is not easy to understand. There is a reason why people are stupid, and there is also a reason why they are lazy. In fact, in the end, they are all self-righteous, and the thing is, they work very slowly.

I have supported many of my co-workers with my own hands because I can do it quickly. From half a year until now, I have improved, what used to take me an hour to do, can now be completed within half an hour. What I do in half an hour now may be completed in ten minutes. Previously, I taught a course for almost three months, but later it became one month, and then I finished it in just over ten hours, and the quality increased too.

Everyone will find that my lecture is better this time than last time because I have made improvements. Next, I will take you to re-study Genesis. Recently, I feel that the English version of Genesis is explained better than the Chinese version. After many years of practice and accumulation, I have improved and grown.

Don't be self-righteous. Many people often feel that they are working too much. But actually, it is not. For example, the piano teachers teach levels 8, 9 10. But it’s just a few pieces of music. The dance teacher also teaches just a few dances. How much work can there be?

Brothers and sisters should know the extent of your self-righteousness represents the extent of your understanding. And the extent of your self-righteousness is directly proportional to your level of foolishness. The more self-righteous a person is, the more foolish they are.

The most deadly thing for a person to do is to always do these foolish things, and do things that harm themselves.

Brothers and sisters, think about it, you came to me with your illness. When I served you, I told you that you care too much about your body, which is why you have this illness. Then you begin to discern good and evil, which is why you have this illness. When you love your body, the world, and money. Have you ever thought that one day you would pay a price for this? Never thought about it. Later on, I finally taught you guys, isn't that enough? But we need to eliminate the root, which is ignorance.

When ignorance reaches its extreme, we think we have wisdom. So when foolish people achieve something and feel very talented, they become very arrogant and self-righteous. Everyone should reflect on it: If you think you are really smart and wise, and you solve a problem, do you know how or why you solved it?

Without knowing or explaining your method clearly, then you have no idea what you are doing. Some people may say, "Teacher, I am very good at writing articles. I asked him to write one for me to see, but he couldn't write it. When I asked why, he told me that he used to write very well.

Somebody told me he is good at trading stocks and finance. I asked him to write a course to teach everyone how to invest and finance, but he couldn't write it because he never knew how to do it. When people mess around and get some kind of result, they start to think they're doing well, and eventually, this leads to self-righteousness.

How to solve it? Be sure to become a wise person, knowing how to solve the problems you solve. As long as we can solve it, we can explain it clearly. If we can't solve it, we need to explain why we can’t solve it. Don't be self-righteous, which is harmful to you.

God bless everyone.