True Things that Seem Arrogant to Believe

Sometimes, as a Bible-believing Christian, you get lumped into the group known as “arrogant people.” Of course, that isn’t fair, but as the related saying implies, not much is. Even Peter acknowledged that because of false teachers over time, Bible belief would be spoken evil of.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2 Peter 2:2

We shouldn’t be surprised that people will accuse us of arrogance because we believe there is only one way of salvation and one body of truth. It salves people’s consciences to lob accusations at and vilify that which stings their consciences, destroys their worldviews, and brings them low before their Creator. By making it look bad, they can feel better about rejecting it.

But, I was thinking recently about a specific idea, that both scripturally and anecdotally seems to prove true. It’s a concept that, if true, has the potential to make some people feel bad. It also has the potential to make people who speak of this truth look like they’re being arrogant. I’ve often wondered how to deal with truths like this and not sound arrogant because even noticing this truth almost seems to set one above others. It’s really breaking my brain. Here it is: Biblical wisdom is time-sensitive.

Proverbs 1:20ff describes wisdom as a woman in the streets literally trying to give wisdom away to anyone who will listen. Pretty much everyone refused it. Then, when problems ensued for them, they tried to go find wisdom, and she simply laughed at their calamity. In other words, there is a prime time of life to get wisdom and get understanding, and after that, it is nearly impossible to gain effectively. By all accounts in the entire book of Proverbs, that time is when one is a young person.

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Proverbs 1:28-30

This verse implies time-sensitivity. The way this can make someone feel bad is if they were born again later in life. This would seemingly imply that in the time they have left on this earth, they could never gain an equal amount of wisdom as someone who has been sincerely learning the wise ways of God since their youth (emphasis on “sincerely”).

This often plays out practically in ministry. In just the last few years, I have counseled with people who now no longer attend the church I pastor (or any church for that matter), that presented as actual cases of this subject in living color. The issues they presented with were very simple issues to deal with, but to them, it was like an insurmountable obstacle. Despite them being fully grown adults with homes and families, they were in the midst of calamity and drama over very simply resolvable things. Yet, they were “bombing out” in the wise ways of God. They already had habits of life, bad ones, and they were difficult to break by that point. As a side note, bad habits of life can also include thinking patterns.

Sure, someone can learn some wisdom later in life. But after looking verse by verse through the entire book of wisdom, namely Proverbs, I can’t help but notice the emphasis being on starting young, pursuing hard after wisdom during that time, and then enjoying the benefits of it for life. On the other hand, those who don’t do this make worse decisions during their youth and young adult years, and spend the rest of their life playing “catch-up” and trying to undo the decisions they’ve made, some of which are impossible to fix and include habits that they feel the effects of for life.

An illustration of this is present in the world of retirement savings. If you start young, you really don’t have to save exorbitant amounts because presuming to live to retirement age, you will have many years to see the fruits of compounding interest. Wisdom is the same way. If someone doesn’t start young, they will spend the rest of their life trying to get ahead. And it’s hard. Very hard. And most don’t ever make it to an effective amount. That can make someone who was saved after their formative years feel like they’re somehow at a disadvantage as well as make someone who grew up learning scripture look like an arrogant privileged kid?

I admit that I feel like this can be a painful truth for some to hear. It has the potential to be disheartening. I also admit that it can make people like me look arrogant for pointing it out. But just know that despite my growing up around the church and the scriptures, I didn’t pursue the wise ways of God like I should have. Many in such cases take it for granted.

If there is anything that I hope this article does, is that it motivates those of use that are young to not take for granted the privilege we have and to not blow this opportune time of life. And for those of us who are older to buckle down even harder in our pursuit of the wise ways of God to make up for the lost time. And especially for parents; this truth is something we should work very hard to instill in our children. They have an opportune time without spouse, kids, bills, habits and cares to really go after wisdom and understanding nearly unhindered. Let’s help them not blow it.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiastes 12:1