“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.’ And again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.’”
1 Corinthians 3:19–20 (NLT)
Worldly wisdom is seductive. It’s shiny, clever, and self-assured—and it sounds just right until you compare it to what God actually says. But here’s the warning: that wisdom isn’t just off—it’s worthless. According to Paul, God sees right through it and even traps the clever in their own schemes.
And worse? Worthless things get thrown away.
Paul says we need to become “fools” to be truly wise. That’s because what sounds foolish to the world—loving enemies, trusting God over logic, building life on Jesus—is actually how the Kingdom works.
I don’t want to get trapped by worldly thinking, or trashed because I trusted in human logic more than God’s Word. I want to be a fanatic for Jesus—even if the world laughs. I’d rather be misunderstood for standing on a solid foundation than be applauded for building on sand.
So if your beliefs don’t sound a little foolish to the world, ask yourself: whose wisdom are you living by?