“Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy; the rod of discipline will drive it from him.”

Proverbs 22:15, LEB

 If a child (as represented by the word “boy”) is not disciplined, he is by default,  a foolish child. 

By being “disciplined”, we are not just talking about caning a child, although if circumstances warrant it, it may be necessary. 

By “discipline”, we are referring to how a child is being taught a skill through hearing and following biblical instructions. 

“Start off children in the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

To gain wisdom, I need to be actively learning the ways of wisdom. Otherwise, I will be passively pulled down by the gravity of foolishness. 

Just as foolishness is default to man unless he defies it by learning wisdom, gravity is default to man unless he defies it using a plane or any other flying devices. 

Applying Wisdom is indeed hard work. We need to put in effort to defy the gravitational forces of foolishness in order to take off! 

“Like a dog returning to his vomit, is a fool reverting to his folly.” 

Proverbs 26:11, LEB

And the converse is true. A wise man will repeat his wise ways, just as a fool reverts to his folly. If we are to repeat our ways, let it be ways of wisdom! 

“The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Once I decide I am wise and need no learning, I become like the apple, succumbing to gravity and falling to the ground. 

Choose… will you be the Plane or the Apple?