Express Yourself

Proverbs 18:2 "A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover (note: express) itself."

So, our culture tells us to express ourselves, to be an individual, to be different. How absurd is this instruction? As I read this morning, this verse really stuck out to me, so I decided to do a little tiny bit of research as well. In Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Mr. Henry puts it that the fool has no delight in anything but his "sports" with which he can "make a show" because he "loves to hear himself talk." Have you ever seen a fool talk? He simply cannot stop because he loves to hear his own voice.

As I considered this verse, let me offer an alternative to expressing "ourselves" and the individuality that our culture so strongly pushes on us. We are all created in the image of our God, though flawed by sin. God has created each of us for His glory. We all function within a framework of community, as does the very God who created us. We are nothing without the Body of Christ of which we are a part, but we all have a vital function as part of that Body. Let's express more of what God has made us to be, and that will be more glorious and fulfilling that anything we can express of the rebellious nature we think is our self.