Don't Be Stupid!

I adopted this saying for 2009, “Don’t be stupid”. I taught it to my students, and it became a rally cry for many of them. On the surface, this statement may seem either a bit harsh or overly simple, but I believe it is appropriate. This statement was at its core a call to overcome the sins that so easily knock us off course Hebrews 12:1. All Christians struggle with something whether pride, insecurity, lust, laziness, etc. No one is exempt. We are not doomed to yield to these challenges, but rather to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee James 4:7.

Our problem is that we can get real stupid when it comes to our own struggles. We are brilliant when it comes to seeing issues in the lives of others. But, we can be as blind as bats when trying to seeing our flaws. I am no different; this is a part the human condition. It’s why we need the Holy Spirit to convict of our sins because we tend miss it at times. This is not an excuse for sin, but an admission of weakness and our great need for a Holy God.

Don’t be stupid. It’s interesting to me that we have a tendency to venture dangerously close to our own sin areas, and then we are shocked when we fall spiritually. We play with fire, and wonder why we keep getting burned. So, don’t be stupid. I have had people tell me that they thought they we mature enough to try (you fill in the blank), and that is why they messed up. My response to them that maturity knows where you are most tempted and stays away from those environments. That’s like expecting a former alcoholic to succeed working at a brewery. Don’t be stupid.

I present this statement to you in the hopes that it will ring in your ears whenever you are seduced by rationalization of your weakness. The Bible gives us the solution, “Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 (MSG). We have to tell ourselves, “Don’t be Stupid”, only because we have such a propensity to be.