Heart Talk: Stubborn & Rebellious Know-It-Alls

The know-it-all

I bet you that you've already encountered one of the most annoying difficult personalities in the world in Mr. or Ms. "know-it-all." These are the individuals who seem to really know it all, and I mean ALL, no matter what you try to converse them with. They are full of their opinions and could never hold a decent conversation unless they say the last word and make the strongest point.

These are those with hearts that are already full of their own ways. 

You can't really tell them anything, suggest to them something nor teach them new things because they live their lives convinced that they already have the answer for everything!

They are resistant to change and the opinions of others, as well as are very adamant about putting their defenses down. These are hearts that are closed and hearts that are hard. And because of that, they have a haughty spirit that goes with it. 

Fools despise instruction

Although resistance to change is a good character trait to have in life (so as not to be gullible in many ways), it is important for us to understand that it has to be had in MODERATION. Anyone who puts their guards up for anything that might lead them to folly and downfall is commendable. BUT, anyone who puts their guards up EVEN IF THEY ARE BEING PRESENTED with TRUTH and WISDOM is to be considered A FOOL! 

Anyone who despise the instructions of God is a TOTAL fool!

Don't look at me as though I label people. It is the Bible that speaks of those who hate knowledge as "Fools." You see, the world may contribute to one individual's quest for knowledge about things, yes, but one can NEVER grasp the entirety of the world's knowledge with the finite mind. Most importantly, there is a kind of knowledge that is based on the ways WE PERCEIVE things and may never really be in-line with pure Wisdom and Knowledge from above.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, 

but the end thereof are the ways of death." 

(Proverbs 14:12, KJB)

The know-it-alls will always be convinced that THEY are ALWAYS right... That their thoughts about matters of life and their opinions on just about everything is the only way to go. A website even puts it this way: Their opinions are gospel and yours is lower than dirt! Sigh... Their motto is usually "My way or the highway." 

The danger to knowing it all is the fact that there is a way which SEEMS right to us, but the end thereof are the ways of death. We may THINK we KNOW IT ALL but the things we hold as true in our heads may not be the RIGHT things in the end.

What kind of wisdom and knowledge should we pursue and what should we test OUR ways against with? Whose voice should we HEARKEN most importantly?

Everything should be tested against the TRUTH in God. And we SHOULD (not an option) really hear what GOD has to say about everything!

God's words and his commandments

God GIVES wisdom and understanding. And He gives the kind of wisdom and knowledge that leads to life. Proverbs 2:6 tells us that the LORD giveth wisdom... and that OUT OF HIS MOUTH comes knowledge and understanding.

If what God has spoken (out of His mouth) gives us knowledge and understanding, then there is a need for us to SEEK EARNESTLY TO HEAR HIS WORDS in order to gain the wisdom that comes from Him. What gain is there for us to run after the wisdom of this world, when we stand to be NOTHING before the throne of God at the END of it all?!

God's WORD is where we receive knowledge and pure wisdom. It is a GUIDE to us, just as the Psalmist said "It is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." 

Look at how God puts everything in perspective in His Word for us. His ways lead to LIFE and life abundant with Grace and is everlasting...

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, 

and find the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

7He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

8He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

9Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; 

yea, every good path.

10When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

12To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, 

from the man that speaketh froward things;

13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

15Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

16To deliver thee from the strange woman, 

even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

(Proverbs 2:1-17, KJB)

Many people today do not care about God's Word. In fact, just recently, this article was published regarding a GREAT falling away of people in trusting in the Word of God. Many simply are abandoning the Bible and go their own way thinking, believing and convincing themselves that THEIR WAY is the best way!

I've seen people who are blessed by God to be in power and to receive so much from above, but never really acknowledge whom it was that their bounties and graces are coming from. These hearts believe in their own capabilities and trust in their own selves. 

The WARNING we all must take heed

Unfortunately, though, there is a GRAVE thing written about stubborn, know-it-all hearts in Scriptures. Those who REFUSE... and I mean, really REFUSE to hear God's voice in His Word has an END to their stories.

God, who uttered the guiding principles and cues above, also uttered these words for those who forsake His wisdom and instructions:

11But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

12So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

(Psalm 81:11-12)

21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...

(Romans 1:21-22)

28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

(Romans 1:28-32)

God's way is the ONLY WAY we should consider in our lives. And His VOICE is the voice we MUST allow to speak in our lives. HIS KNOWLEDGE should be the only wisdom and knowledge we pursue and RETAIN in our minds. 

There is a grave danger of being given over to our own stubborn and rebellious know-it-all ways. We may end up really getting what we wish for... and that end is not something we want to find ourselves in, as we will already be given over to reprobate mindedness which views evil as good and good as evil. 

We will become too drunk with the wine of our OWN counsel that though we know the judgment of God, and that those who commit such evil things will fall under His wrath, we will no longer be sensitive to any of it and will LOSE THE FEAR OF THE LORD WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE. We will be given over to a mind which finds pleasure in doing the very things that God detests!

Will YOU take a look at your life and see if you are seeking God's Wisdom and Knowledge, beloved? 

Will YOU take a moment out of your busy life and ponder upon whose counsel you are listening to? YOU might have been listening to YOUR OWN VOICE FOR A LONG TIME NOW...

There is no time waste, dear one...
It is NOW time to be turned back to God... 

"Turn us again, O God, and cause THY FACE to shine; and we shall be saved. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause THY FACE to shine; and we shall be saved." 

(Psalm 80:3,7)

The Proud and the Humble at Heart

Pride of Self

Pride is perhaps the most important issue that all of us should overcome in this life. The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud (James 4:6)! So, we must understand that there is something we need to do with the pride in our hearts in order to be right with God.

Pride is defined by Bing.com as the feeling of superiority and the satisfaction with self. We have to understand that this definition is TRUE for what every person has in his and her heart. No matter how much we try to deny it or sugar coat it, Pride is something that is a part of the human nature.

Most people would probably deny that they have any pride in their hearts because most of us view being PROUD as an act of "boasting." However, if we look at the above definition of the word "Pride," we ought to realize that it doesn't necessarily mean the act of "boasting" as boasting is to speak with excessive pride.

The mere act of being satisfied with ourselves is Pride itself! The idea that we are satisfied with where we are in life right now and what we have done so far is quite a dangerous thing to have. Being satisfied with the life we have here and now, without thinking of eternal consequences is a dangerous thing. Being satisfied with our efforts at religiosity and piety is a very dangerous thing to have in this life as this satisfaction leads us away from realizing our great NEED for Christ. And the very fact that we are satisfied with our SELF and NOT with CHRIST, is a grave danger for our soul.

Pride before the fall

The Bible talks a LOT about the proud. There isn't anything good that comes with it. Every verse in Scripture that points out Pride is pretty much telling us that it leads to destruction in the end.

"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." (Proverbs 29:23, KJV)

"The pride of your heart has deceived you..." (Obadiah 1:3)

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." 

(Proverbs 16:18)

Pride leads to nothing but destruction. How so? Because pride deceives us into believing the lie of SELF-SUFFICIENCY. 

Pride allows us to believe in OUR abilities, in OUR good works, in OUR religiosity, in OUR achievements and in the power of SELF. Pride blinds us from the truth of our depravity and the truth of our great need for a Savior. Pride also hinders us from actively seeking Christ because anything we do that shows our acknowledging Christ's superiority will be a sign of inferiority--the exact opposite of the mind setting of the Proud.

God is opposed to the proud because it denies the Grace that He so freely gave through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God is opposed to the proud because it denies the TRUTH found in His Word that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He is opposed to the proud because it denies that JESUS CHRIST is the ONLY Way, Truth and Life any person can have in this life. 

Destruction awaits the proud of heart because the Bible tells us that the wages of our sin is DEATH. This death is not just the physical death we all are destined to face, but also the spiritual death that sends a soul into eternal torment in the lake of fire, separated from the Grace and Holiness of God.

Many today would rather cling to the pride of life rather than humble themselves before the throne of Grace. Why? Because the proud harbors the fear of man in their hearts. 

Contrary to the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of Man brings a snare to one's life (Prov. 29:25). It allows one to cling tightly to the idea of superiority and self-satisfaction which gives one the fear of rejection by other people. It breeds the fear of ridicule from others who are also self-sufficiently proud. 

The mind-set of the proud makes him or her think about other people's opinions more than what the Truth in the Word of God says. 

"What will others say about me?" 

"What will they think of me if I follow Christ?" 

These are the constant thoughts of those chained down by Pride.

The proud has the world revolving around THEM. They would always have the world for their audience and refuse to SUBMIT to the most important audience of ONE who is before the throne. Many would rather cling to what family, friends and society would dictate today, rather than HEED what the Word of God says.

Humility & Healing

The human nature is broken. It is in our carnality that sin abounds and death reigns. But there is healing available for those who are WILLING to accept the cure in CHRIST JESUS. He himself said, "Ye MUST be born again."

Humility takes A LOT of courage. It takes a LOT of courage to be humble enough to accept the fact that we are LOST and UTTERLY DEPRAVED apart from the Grace of God in Christ Jesus. Humility calls for courage to run AGAINST the flow. Humility calls for the courage to stand up when everyone else remains seated. Humility calls for the courage to come forward FOR CHRIST, when the rest of the world mock and scoff at the sideline. 

The woman in Mark chapter 5 who suffered from a bleeding disorder for years laid down her defenses and touched the hem of Jesus' clothes just so she can be healed. When Jesus asked who touched Him, she mustered all the courage to come forward from amidst the crowd and fell down before Him. She became the center of attention, but it didn't matter to her. She could become the subject of mockery and scoffing for as a woman she was NOT supposed to touch Jesus in the first place, but she risked all that knowing that HEALING can only come from CHRIST.

HUMILITY brings us to the throne of Grace... to that point in time when we accept our depravity apart from Christ. Humility brings us to that place of obedience where we submit ourselves to the FULL Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Is Pride keeping you from running to the throne of Christ's Grace today? Is Pride deceiving you greatly into thinking you can work your own salvation? Is Pride deceiving you into believing the lies that God's Word cannot be the absolute Truth?

Humble yourselves before the LORD JESUS, beloved... this is the way that God accepts...

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Psalm 51:17, KJV)

He does not oppose the humble at heart, but rather gives them the Grace they need for the moment. Are you afraid to come to Christ because of what others might say? Are you afraid to come forward during a church fellowship to acknowledge your need for Christ because of what you think others may think? Destroy that Pride in your heart, dear one... before it destroys you in the end.

:) Here's a bumper sticker to remind us all that...