(Apparently, I’ve been watching too many Charlie Brown holiday specials because “blockhead” is my new favorite insult).
(Is it bad to start a blog post with a digression? No? How about two digressions?)
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In my last post I quoted one of Job’s blockhead friends, not to point out his inability to understand God’s dealing with Job, but to praise his accurate representation of the Gospel.
And since I’ve posted that praise, I’ve been pondering the “rightness” of doing so.
It is clear in Job 42:7 that three of Job’s friends “have not spoken of [God] what is right.” The fourth friend, Elihu, whom I quoted in the last post, was not mentioned in God’s rebuke of Job’s friends. I don’t know why. But he said some similar things about God for which the others are being rebuked. So I guess we can assume Elihu didn’t speak of God what is right also.
[That grammar is killing me, but it’s THE BIBLE. I mustn’t change it…]
[Is mustn’t a real word? It must be because my spell check isn’t putting a red squiggly under it…and we all know how accurate spell check is.]
So, to recap, Job’s friends said some things that were wrong.
And I praised one friend for something he said that was right.
What does that teach us?
We can learn from blockheads.
Just because someone is wrong most of the time, that doesn’t mean we should write him off all together. You never know when he might spout off some biblical truth that will blow your mind.
To be sure, when we’re dealing with people that have blockhead tendencies (read: all of us), we should check what they say against the rest of the scriptures.
And that brings me to my next point.
How great is it that God can/does use Job’s blockhead friends to speak truth about Himself at times, in between the multitude of falsehoods they assert as truth?
Super great! Because that means God can use blockheads like you and me to speak truth about Himself at times, in between the multitude of falsehoods we assert as truth.
Whew. SO glad I don’t have to be perfect before He will choose to use me for good.
YES, so thankful He can use me even though I’m regularly a blockhead. And so humbled that He would even think or desire to include me in His work at all!
You ain’t no blockhead…waan waa waaaa!
And this is me raising my hand to the question, “Are you a blockhead?”
PTL that God uses all of us in spite of ourselves. This means God can use me in spite of horrible parenting moments too – at least I hope/pray!