THINK TOGETHER.
Do you like to be alone? Why or why not?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 9:12. …if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
Do you remember what a scoffer is? A scoffer makes fun of people and things. A scoffer doesn’t think that they need wisdom, even God’s wisdom, so they laugh at others who try to obey God or obey their teachers or parents. A scoffer refuses to believe what God says, and doesn’t value what their elders or their community says.
Solomon is telling us that if you live as a scoffer long enough, you will be all alone. Sure, you might have friends at first, other scoffers who make fun of things with you. But eventually a scoffer will make fun of their friends, and lose them too. In the end nobody likes a scoffer.
Do you remember what we said yesterday about individualism – making yourself the most important person and “looking within” for all your answers. The scoffer is the ultimate individualist. In the end they only care about what they care about. “Don’t tell me what to do.” “That idea is so stupid.” “I’m smarter than you.” “My parents don’t know what they’re talking about.” “Church is boring.” “I’d rather just be with my friends, not the new kid.” These are the words of the scoffer that will eventually leave them all alone in life.
But with Jesus we never have to be alone. We never have to turn into a scoffer. When we trust in Jesus we are placed into a new community of people, all very different, all with very different backgrounds, and ideas. Because we all love Jesus we can get along and learn from each other, not make fun of each other. Mostly we can love each other even though we are so different, and never be alone.
Because of Jesus we will never be alone.
With Jesus we can value others and not make fun of those who are different.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Is there someone in your church from a different culture or background that you can learn from? How can you teach your kids to value, not make fun of, different cultures?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, I don’t want to be a scoffer and wind up alone. I know you will never leave me. Help me to value others and not make fun of them. Amen.
TLICfamily 