Self-Inflicted Wounds

Thursday, July 25, 2013

by Dr. Paul Chappell

"He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage."

Proverbs 26:6

Mark McCormack was one of the first professional sports agents. Among his first clients were the three best golfers in the world at the time: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player. McCormack’s company, the International Management Group, later branched out to many areas beyond sports. In his best-selling book What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School, McCormack describes a vivid illustration he used to impress on his employees the importance of hiring only the best people available.

He had received a set of Russian dolls—the kind where each doll has a smaller doll inside it. Each one is painted to look alike, so that the only difference is that they get smaller as they go. He told his managers, “If you hire people who are less talented and intelligent, our company will continue to shrink.” The point was clear: they needed to be looking for good people to hire if their company was to prosper and grow.

That is true in the secular business world, and there is a lesson in that story for our lives in any field. If we are depending on people who are fools, we are headed for trouble. There are clear indications that we can see in the words and actions of others that let us know whether they are living according to wisdom or according to folly. It is not a matter of unfairly judging someone to correctly evaluate that they are behaving foolishly and then act accordingly. In any situation where you must rely on someone who is a fool, you must recognize the danger of unintended consequences that can arise from their actions. Try to find ways to minimize this risk by surrounding yourself with wise people and relying on them as much as possible.

Today's Growth Principle
Do everything you can to avoid a position where you have to rely on fools to get things done.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 40-42

PSALM 40

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. ² He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. ³ And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. ⁴ Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. ⁵ Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. ⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, ⁸ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. ⁹ I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. ¹⁰ I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

¹¹ Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. ¹² For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. ¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. ¹⁴ Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. ¹⁵ Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. ¹⁶ Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. ¹⁷ But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

PSALM 41

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

¹ Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. ² The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. ³ The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. ⁴ I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

⁵ Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? ⁶ And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. ⁷ All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. ⁸ An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. ⁹ Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. ¹⁰ But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. ¹¹ By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. ¹² And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. ¹³ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

PSALM 42

To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.

¹ As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. ² My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? ³ My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? ⁴ When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. ⁵ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

⁶ O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. ⁷ Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. ⁸ Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. ⁹ I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? ¹⁰ As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? ¹¹ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

New Testament Reading

Acts 27:1-26

¹ And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. ² And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ³ And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. ⁴ And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵ And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶ And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. ⁷ And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; ⁸ And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. ⁹ Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, ¹⁰ And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. ¹¹ Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

¹² And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. ¹³ And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. ¹⁴ But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ¹⁵ And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. ¹⁶ And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: ¹⁷ Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. ¹⁸ And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; ¹⁹ And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. ²⁰ And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

²¹ But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. ²² And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, ²⁴ Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. ²⁵ Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. ²⁶ Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 26

¹ As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool. ² As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. ³ A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back. ⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. ⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. ⁶ He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage. ⁷ The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools. ⁸ As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool. ⁹ As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. ¹⁰ The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. ¹¹ As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. ¹² Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. ¹³ The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. ¹⁴ As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. ¹⁵ The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. ¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. ¹⁷ He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. ¹⁸ As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, ¹⁹ So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? ²⁰ Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. ²¹ As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. ²² The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. ²³ Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. ²⁴ He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; ²⁵ When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. ²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. ²⁷ Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. ²⁸ A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.