“Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.”

I totally get this verse. I’ve actually experienced it a few times in my life—and I imagine you might have as well. I did a good bit of physical labor earlier in life. Living in Florida and working for a roofer in the summertime was pretty demanding. Cleaning barnacles off of boats the old-fashioned way as a teenager was a brutal way to earn a dollar, especially on the hands. I almost can’t explain how nice it was to get a job bagging groceries at Publix when I was 15, as well as pumping gas back when attendants actually did that when I was 16. But no matter how difficult or easy the work was, it was all preferable to having someone scream in my face—especially when they did it irrationally. I once had a supervisor stand up, slam their hands on the desk, look at me, and totally out of the blue begin to dress me down verbally. The shock of being caught off guard, along with the embarrassment for both of us, was tough. In that moment, I would’ve rather been doing any of the physical labor I did as a teenager than stand there in that situation. I was at a complete loss for how to respond, so I stood there, listened, and then quietly walked away. I made sure to never be in that kind of situation with that person again. The wisdom in this verse definitely includes avoiding people like that. That was many years ago, and what I’ve discovered is this: when we spend time with godly people, we have primarily godly interactions. Today, as much as it depends on you, surround yourself with men and women whose hearts belong to the Lord. #BeTheEdge

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” Psalm 1:1 NIV