STOP THAT NONSENSE!

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways” (1 Cor. 13:11 GW). 

There are many nonsensical, silly and stupid things in this world.  It used to be that stupid things are often hidden away in a recluse.  Not anymore.  With today’s technology you can choose which stupid thing you like to see and invite or share it to others quickly.  Some silly things are harmless (e.g. a baby trying to talk) while others can be quite annoying (e.g. a boisterous neighbor singing with the karaoke).  Others however are very dangerous and have terrible consequences.  When a world leader makes a stupid decision because he was given a stupid advice the effects are far reaching and devastating.  Our world has become an unsafe place to live because of stupid people in power with stupid decisions surrounded by stupid people.  Worse of all stupidity is on the increase.  “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13).

To blame God for all the evil in this world is stupid.  God didn’t make this world evil.  “And God saw everything that he had made and that it was very good” (Gen. 1:31).  God’s original creation was superior and better in all things.  This goodness however was ruined and marred by Adam and Eve’s stupidity.  Instead of believing and following God, they chose to follow the serpent.  Their stupidity affects all of us today and we suffer because of it.  Your stupid decisions now will not only hurt you, it will hurt many others later on.

Everyone makes stupid decisions.  Even godly men and women do stupid things.  In the Bible they lied, cheated, stole, sued each other in pagan courts, gossiped, got drunk, followed false teachers and false teaching, fought their pastors, wish others were dead, were greedy and so much more.   Paul told the Corinthians he was done making nonsensical things.  He said, “I no longer use childish ways.”  Childish ways are stupid ways.  For a literal child it may look innocent and funny, but for believers who want to live out the faith it is not.  There is nothing funny seeing an adult in church, years in the Lord, making stupid actions and decisions. 

The biggest stupidity Christians have is when they lack of love toward God and toward others.  Many Christians are wise and gifted, but without love stupidity steps in.  The only way to stop this nonsense is to have love.  When a church is devoid of love their stupidity become obvious to everyone.  Stupidity and love cannot be hidden.  But the difference between the two is that stupidity hurts and destroys, whereas love heals, binds and unites.  “Love covers a multitude of sins,” says Peter and James (James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8).

We all go through phases of stupidity, but as we mature in the Lord our stupidity diminishes and wisdom and love grows and develops.  “When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways,” says Paul.  Have we become spiritual adults?  Are our nonsensical ways over?  In the world to come stupidity will be no more.  But love is the one big thing that will remain.  “The greatest is love” (1 Cor. 13:13) and hope we all have this greatest thing in us today.  And we do have it because of the indwelling Spirit (Rom. 5:5) and because our God will make sure this love in us grows (Phil. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:5).