Escape quickly from the company of fools;
they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words.Proverbs 14:7 from The Message
I want to help people, not because of what the individual receives from my help but due to the joy I receive from helping people. I am under little to no illusion that all my motivation in this world comes from inside me, as all your motivation comes from within you.
The thing is, and this has been a very hard lesson for me to learn, not everyone wants my help.
In addition to that I cannot help everyone I come across.
It takes time, energy, and/or other resources that I have in order to make the exchange of whatever I have for the joy of helping someone I receive.
So, what should I do when I realize I am in a situation that is a lost cause? According to this proverb I should “cut my losses” and stop the drain on my most limited resource – time.
This is not to say that I should only hang out with people I can help; it is speaking against fools, which is a pretty strong word in this version of the bible.
How could this change the world?
Acknowledging that there are fools who waste time and words could help our school system, our government, and other organizations. Realizing and acknowledging the capabilities, world view, and desires of an individual can help us better interact. What more could we strive for?
I guess the deeper message is that you need to know what is going on around you, to understand deeper, and be good stewards of the limited resources we have. In doing this we must realize that we do not have all the answers and our attempts to provide value an individual or group might not achieve the goals we set out with.
Part of the Proverbs Challenge series
