Daily devotion – When they try to shout the Gospel down!
Confronting Loud Fools
Proverbs 18:2 — “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
Have you ever noticed how often those who oppose Christian truth can become loud, hostile and unwilling to listen? The late Christian apologist Charlie Kirk often encountered people who seemed more interested in shouting, cursing and expressing their own opinions than genuinely engaging in thoughtful discussion.
This is the double trouble of a fool: a closed mind and an open mouth!
Proverbs 18:2 tells us that the fool has no desire to understand; he simply wants to express what is already in his own heart. He is not seeking truth or knowledge but an opportunity to proclaim his own opinion. Later in the chapter we read, “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows” (Proverbs 18:6). His words eventually become his own destruction.
How different this is from the wisdom of Proverbs 17:28:
“Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed as a man of understanding.”
Sometimes the wisest thing a foolish person could do is simply be quiet and listen!
As followers of Christ, we must remember that we do not have to shout louder than those who oppose the Gospel. Jesus instructed His disciples, “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Our calling is not to win arguments through volume, anger or aggression. We are called to speak the truth with wisdom, grace and love.
In a loud and increasingly hostile world, may our lives, our words and our wisdom point people to Christ. We don’t need to o