![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Proverbs_10_8.jpg)
| “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” |
| —Proverbs 10:8 |
We seem to live in a “Don’t Tell Me What to Do” society today. No one wants to willingly receive any direction.
I have occasion to rather frequently speak with a wide variety of Help Desk technicians who provide assistance to computer users and other users of technology. These individuals present an equally wide variety of people skills and technical knowledge.
Not long ago, I had occasion to speak with a woman at the Help Desk of the local telephone company. I was calling because a loud hum had developed in my telephone line. I recognized the hum as an “unwanted ground.” For those of you not familiar with telephony, an “unwanted ground” occurs when something inadvertently creates a path from one side of the telephone circuit to earth ground. This can come from a tree branch rubbing against a telephone cable. It can come from a fault in a piece of equipment. But, most often, it comes from water having gotten into a telephone cable or outdoor piece of telephone equipment.
As I reported my problem to the Help Desk operator, I explained that we had experienced a recent heavy rainstorm. I suggested that perhaps the telephone terminal box at the bottom of the hill had become flooded. Instead of receiving my commentary as helpful information, the operator gave me a tongue-lashing about leaving such matters up to the telephone company trained technicians. It later took nearly three weeks to resolve the problem, which the on-site technician described as a—you guessed it—unwanted ground due to a damaged seal on the terminal box cover that allowed water to enter the box.
In contrast, I also recently spoke with a Help Desk technician who works for the local internet service provider. This individual began to work very collaboratively with me once she understood that I had a bit more knowledge about how her company’s system worked than most customers may have. Working together, we solved the problem rather quickly.
Why won’t we just listen? Even in our spiritual lives, God has given us specific instructions that we too often ignore. Notice what King Solomon wrote, as recorded in Proverbs 10:8:
The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
As we begin another new day, let’s remain open to every instruction we receive from God through His precious written Word. Let’s receive with joy God’s commands. And, let’s turn away from becoming chattering fools.
