“Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”

My 9-year-old granddaughter was watching a cartoon where they were explaining inflation. Yep, you read that right. When I watched cartoons as a kid, they were explaining how cotton candy was made. I didn’t understand it then, either. During her show, they mentioned the devaluation of money… I think. She rolled over, looked at me all excited, and said, “Is that what happened to the penny?” I proclaimed, “Exactly.” I hope I was right. This kid loves to learn and understand. Solomon tells us that fools couldn’t care less about understanding. They either have not grasped, or don’t care about, the simple fact that if you are talking, you aren’t learning anything new. To speak it, it must already exist in your mind. One of Solomon’s points is an identifier of a fool: they do not care about growth in their understanding. They just want others to hear them. They often truly believe they are the smartest person in the room—or at least the most interesting and worth listening to. I’ve been around those people. I’m sure you have too. Jesus taught us that there is power and healing in being a good listener. He listened, as on the road to Emmaus, even when He already knew the answer. By listening, we learn from Him, we earn the right to be heard. Today, practice the powerful discipline of listening and understanding. #BeTheEdge

“As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;” Luke 24:15 NIV