Taking Off the Heat!
Pr 26:12 ¶ Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him. It is called transference. If the guilt of my actions can be transferred to you, then I am off the hook. Solomon used a good expression "wiser in his own conceits." Old folks when I was a kid say, "He is too smart for his own good."
"Pr 26:16 "The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason." A lazy man can think up more reasons not to have a job than a committee of seven counselors. "Conceit" means how he looks at things--he has a lot of reasons for thinking as he does.
The lazy person will also transfer the blame to you: . Pr 26:13 "There slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets." Can you think of a better reason for not going to work today. What do you want--do you want me to DIE? Of course a better man might think that a lion in the street is a very good reason to go out, to protest wives and children, animals and neighbors. Time to get to work, man.
Nowadays people have learned a new way to transfer blame. "I love you," they say when you are offended by something they have done. The message they convey is "I know I lied about you and you think I behaved badly. I am sorry you think so. I love you and have nothing against you. I am a better person than you because I bear all you miserable faults and you get all fussy about these little ones of mine. Why cannot you see this and come up to my level of love. I am better than you!" The unspoken word is, "You are a bad person for thinking I did something wrong. But I love you anyway; that makes me a better person than you are."
There has been inflation in the coin of affection. There is much more of it but it is of far less value. I know what Jesus meant: "I wish you were hot or cold. Lukewarm makes me sick to my stomach."
1Jo 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Ro 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Pr 26:12 "Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him."
