“ Don’t Be A Smarty Pants”

Originally Posted on Oct. 6, 2021

Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb ? Hmmmmmm. Who painted “Whistler’s Mother”?  When was the war of 1812 fought? Give up? I have to admit that over the years I’ve been stumped by these questions…. maybe due to nerves or being distracted.

How about these questions. What kind of horse was St. Paul riding when he was knocked on his fanny on the road to Damascus? Was St. Francis the first Franciscan priest? What kind of whale did Jonah get swallowed by? Wow, this is a pretty tough BLOG. 

Sometimes in an effort to give the quickest answer, I give the wrong answer. Yet, a delayed correct answer is far better than a quick wrong answer. In truth, it’s okay to say, “gee, let me think about that…. I’m not sure I know the answer to that question.” Occasionally I watch “Jeopardy” on T.V. …. where often one of the contestants is ringing the buzzer before I have finished hearing the question. But let’s be honest, Jeopardy is a pretty intimidating show; I bet I don’t get 10% of the answers correct…. actually maybe only 5% …. okay, 2%. 

So, what’s the point of this BLOG? As usual it’s a pretty subtle and deep point… taking much reflection; you have to be on your toes to figure it out. Give up? Ready? Okay….. there’s no real value in being a “smarty pants”. In fact, no one likes a “smarty pants”…. and …. smarty pants are often not that smart. 

In scripture we learn that “pride goes before a fall and humility before honor”. (Prov. 29:23) In the final analysis God is the source of all truth. You and I  haven’t discovered any wisdom or truth that didn’t originate with God. So, it’s okay to admit I don’t know something. It’s also okay to ask God to help us discover the answer to a question. A pretty often repeated exhortation I cry is “Jesus help me …. Jesus, I’m not sure what to do in this situation… I don’t know the answer to that question,  to that dilemma, to that crisis…. please show me what to do, how to act. “ And we can be at peace as the Lord answers our cry.

Yet as a footnote to this BLOG, God does want us to use our head and learn a few things, so I’m going to give answers to the six questions above and you need to assign them to the proper questions…. be alert because I may throw in a couple of tricks …..  you better be on your toes. Okay….. ready…. ? The answers are  “ Grant, Whistler, 1812, Moby Dick, NO, Black Stallion”.

Remember if you get stuck, the proper answer is “Jesus help me”….. and he will.