Morality vs. Intelligence

Smart, yet so stupid…

1 Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! 2 God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. 3 But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! ~psalms 53:1-3~

i thought fools meant stupid people when reading the first verse of chapter 53. what i learned is that it really means one who is senseless and irrational.

Even intelligent people can act like fools, and there is nothing more foolish than denying the very existence of God ~bibleref.com~

from Christianity.com on psalms 53:

how comes it that men are so bad? because there is no fear of God before their eyes. men's bad practices flow from their bad principles; if they profess to know God, yet in works, because in thoughts, they deny him. see the folly of sin; he is a fool, in the account of God, whose judgment we are sure is right, that harbours such corrupt thoughts.

i may be incorrect, and this is only what i feel, i believe this chapter is mainly a reminder or speaks of sin, the arrogance of man, and how unprincipled we are and can be regardless of knowing what is true and right. or, perhaps us being capable of sin even though we understand how bad it is, believing there is no consequence for them.

from my experience, you can be a pretty smart person and still be an idiot at the same time. like when i was taking drugs knowing how bad they are for me; feeling like the high was worth the damage it was doing to me physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. i liken rejecting God when you have all the evidence in front of you similarly - you know deep down in your heart that he is real, but you just can’t get past your own selfish desires and ways to acknowledge it.

for a deep dive on psalms 53, i really like the thorough explanation and breakdown by enduring world Bible commentary by david guzik.

if there is overwhelming evidence proving that something is true, don’t be the jackass that decides to challenge it especially when you’ll come to the same conclusion. this is an overwhelming reminder to not be afraid to share The Gospel with the people you love because although it is foolish to them, it has the power to save their lives (1 corinthians 1:18).

dear Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me see through my foolishness, that the very essence of your love is embodied in your Son, Jesus, who came to rescue me from sin and death. may i never be timid or shy away from sharing The Gospel of Christ all the days of my life. may The Truth of whoe Jesus is be evident and lived out in my life that others would come to know you Lord. in your Wonderful and Glorious Name i pray, amen!