Full disclosure, my goal in this article is to challenge you to read and apply the message of the biblical book of Proverbs. It’s my contribution to trying to stem the tide of stupidity.

The other day, I watched out the window of a coffee shop as a cellphone-holding driver approached an intersection with a clearly marked turn lane, complete with arrows painted on the road and a bright overhead sign. At the last second, he swerved across two lanes, missed the turn entirely, overcorrected, and ended up circling the block only to repeat the same mistake at the next light. Horns blared. Drivers shook their heads. And it struck me that this was not simply a driving error. It was a fundamental failure to pay attention to what was plainly in front of him.

That scene is not confined to the road. It plays out in our finances, our relationships, and our homes. Absolutely clear guidance is available, yet it is often ignored. One could be excused for thinking absurdity has become the new normal. We rush, fuss, react, assume, and then wonder why things unravel. As the Book of Proverbs puts it, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).

Proverbs is a book in the Bible that presents truths about the world from a divine perspective and advice on how to live wisely. It’s a collection of God-given wisdom written not for scholars in ivory towers but for ordinary people navigating ordinary life. It speaks with remarkable clarity about the very places we tend to stumble. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (Proverbs 18:9). “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established” (Proverbs 24:3).

Notice how direct this is. No soft-pedaling. No confusion. Just bite-sized truth that meets you where you live. Speech, work, family, decision making. Proverbs addresses it all with instruction that calls us out of foolishness and into wisdom.

And what a gift this is. We are not left to figure life out on our own. God has not hidden the path. He has laid it out plainly for those willing to walk it. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

So, here’s the ask: begin a simple practice. Read Proverbs. You might sit down and read it in one afternoon. You might take a chapter a day or a single verse and carry it with you. The pace is not the point. The method matters less than the commitment. Slow down. Listen. Let the words do their work in you.

Because wisdom is not merely an abstract concept. It must be lived. And when you do, you will find what Proverbs promises: steadiness in your decisions, restraint in your speech, joy in your home, and a kind of peace that begins in your heart and spreads outward. Stop ignoring what is clearly marked. Read Proverbs, and walk the wiser path.

Paul Merideth

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