February 26, 2026

Hey guys, 

This week’s Thought comes from Proverbs 26:7. There, Solomon says, “A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg.”

We've all been there. We've all been sitting for a while, in a strange position, and our leg goes to sleep. We get up and we almost fall, because well… in that moment it's useless, right? Beyond the actual physical example that Solomon is making here, I want us to go a little bit deeper. 

A proverb, or a word of wisdom, in the mouth of a fool is useless. A fool is not a fool just because they say something foolish. A fool is not a fool because they make a poor choice and do something wrong. Solomon uses the label “fool” here and throughout the book of Proverbs to draw the distinction between an unwise and wise person. A foolish person has a reputation of saying poor things or making bad decisions consistently. It's not a one-time thing. 

So here, Solomon is not referring to someone who just misspoke once or someone who made a singular poor judgment, this is someone who does foolish things consistently. No matter how eloquent or powerful or wise a word is, people can't help but consider the source. If you have proven yourself to be a fool, those wise words fall on deaf ears.

I think what he is saying here is, simply be who you say you are. That's the only way you can establish credibility–be who you say you are. Be consistent and let the inside match the outside. 

So, if you have some wise words to share with people this week, make sure that your inside matches the outside. It doesn't matter how powerful, how strong, how eloquent, even, how convicting a wise word may be. In the mouth of a fool, it's useless. 

Love you guys,

John