God!!!! Why Did You Say That? That's Not Fair.

It was 2:53 AM. That's 2:53 AM people, I don't know about you, but that is not a good time for the noise of the pounding rain on my bedroom window to wake me up. So I reluctantly sat up on the edge of the bed wondering what kind of rain this is, in the middle of the summer. As I was pondering over this, I decided to check on my two teenage daughters to make sure they are sleeping. Sometimes those kids stay up all night doing nothing but talk especially on Friday nights when there won't be school next day. So as I was leaving their room and coming back downstairs, I had this nudging that says go to your office, don't go back to sleep.



Now you have to realize that I started thinking am I crazy? why this urge to go to my office in the middle of the night, when I am so sleepy. By the way, my office is inside my house, if you are wondering. I have a room that I used for my office where I do all my writings, etc. It is a sort of sanctuary for me when I want to think or do something that requires my total attention. Grudgingly, I followed the nudging, I went to my office.


I stood by the window looking outside as the rain continued to pour. I was enjoying watching the rain doing it's own thing when I heard a gentle voice in my heart. I instantly recognize this voice. The voice says, "Son, I know I did not make you stupid, so why are you trying to make yourself one?" I was shocked by that statement and quite honestly and frankly, I felt offended. (Can't believe I just said that.....offended at God, what pride?)


Anyway, I blurted out, "God, Why did you say that? That's not fair. I am not stupid" The gentle voice of God simply said, "I did not say you were stupid, I simply asked you a question, it was your mind that latched on to the word stupid and you automatically assumed I called you stupid" I felt so very little after that response from God, but still curious as to why he asked that kind of question. So I asked him, what's going on? what are you trying to tell me, because you always do this to me when I'm messing up or about to mess up.


I felt like I heard him laugh. He proceeded to tell me some amazing things which touched and changed me as a person and has brought incredible blessings into my life. I can see some people thinking how much? how big of a blessing? It is not always about money :-) Focus here people.....


See I have been involved in a project that seem to be stagnant, no forward-movement, no progress of any kind and it was frustrating me that I could not find solution to something that seem so simple. (I'm human you know...lol) .


And the Lord said the following profound words to my heart. "Ignorance is the absence of knowledge while stupidity is the refusal to become educated." He continued to say that at that moment in time, I possessed both. I was going to start an argument, but he cut in before I could muster a word.


"Ignorance is common to all, even the most knowledgeable of all my children. You invented degrees in your education, what do you think that means? It is simply a level of knowledge in the field of your choice, it does not mean you have the total knowledge in that field. Even your PhD holders are still bunch of ignorant children and that's why you have ongoing research on every known subject matter in your world."


I said, Lord I think I understand what you are saying, but what has that got to do with me?


He seemed to ignore my question and proceeded to say "Stupidity, on the other hand, is the refusal to become educated, to learn, to acknowledge, to receive instructions, to acquire wisdom and understanding." He continued to say "Remember I told you that "The labors of fools weary them, because they do not know the way to the city."


I began to understand without him answering my question. He was trying to help me understand what I was doing wrong in the project I have been having trouble with. The failure is not the project, it was me. I have totally refused, in ignorance, to admit that what I was doing was not going to help the project. I have reached the top of my knowledge in that aspect, but I have refused to believe that anybody else can help me since I was put in charge of the project. Now, that's sheer stupidity. refusing to learn from someone else


I know, I know, you could have told me that, but hey, you weren't there? :-) so you are equally to blame. Hahaha.


Sometimes you find yourself in a position of authority and you forget to acknowledge that though you are a leader, a great leader is the one that actually learns from his pupils as he teaches. I should have known better that even though I headed the project, someone on my team actually possessed the knowledge we needed to complete the project. Therein was my stupidity.


So the Lord now reminded me of who it was that had been trying to get my attention, the person that had the solution. Boy, did I feel so little and ashamed. I actually felt stupid, even though God did not call me that.


He went on to finish his lesson to me. That we need to realize that "Ignorance is common to all, even the most knowledgeable, but stupidity is personally chosen." He also said that "when a person choose to be stupid because of pride or fear or whatever, then oppression sets in, because oppression is simply the taking away of a man's good or estate from him without any right to it by working on the ignorance, weakness, pride, stupidity or fearfulness of the man"


Wow!! that was quite a mouthful. My friends, I learnt a great lesson that morning. It is our refusal to learn or receive help from others that keep people from realizing their vision, that keeps people oppressed, keeps them in bondage. That refusal is born of pride, fear, weakness, fearfulness....all the fruits which are not of God. If God had not interjected and taught me those things, I don't know what I would have done, but God in his mercies never allows any of his children to suffer unjustly. He will let us know what we are doing wrong, IF we pay attention and allow him to direct us.


By the way, we completed that project successfully and guess where the solution came from? an intern that my colleague hired barely a few weeks prior. What an irony? the one with all the experiences couldn't solve it, the one without any experience solved it.


God is an amazing God with a huge sense of humor. It is true that God resists the proud, but gives grace, amazing grace to the humble. My friends, let me remind you of the great lesson again.


IGNORANCE IS THE ABSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE, WHILE STUPIDITY IS THE REFUSAL TO LEARN. IGNORANCE IS COMMON TO ALL, EVEN THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE. STUPIDITY ON THE OTHER HAND IS PERSONALLY CHOSEN


YOU ARE NOT BORN STUPID. WHEN YOU ARE HUMBLE, GOD WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY.


I urge you to please leave your comments BELOW. Share your experience in this matter. It is important that we all learn from each other. Your comment may be what somebody else needs for that breakthrough and somebody else's comments may just be the light you are looking for.