Humans are intelligent beings. We do stupid things, but that doesn’t mean we are completely mindless. Too often we focus on the dumb things people do. Overall, the human race is intelligent.

While we sometimes focus on the dumb things people do, maybe we need a reminder from time to time that we try to seem “too smart.” It’s one thing to truly be intelligent. It’s another to try to go beyond what is “intelligent” into areas where we try to “look smart,” but really we are completely out of our element.

I think it’s pride. If we can sound smart in some arena and no one else can seem to challenge it, then we “look smart” to others. But pull the curtain back and we find we have no idea what in the world we’re talking about.

We venture into areas to feign intelligence because for some reason we may not think we’re very intelligent ourselves. Maybe we were told we couldn’t learn when we were younger. A parent or teacher foolishly degraded us and we thought we were dumb when, in reality, we possessed intelligence.

For whatever reason, we just can’t seem to give things a rest. We venture off into areas that are well beyond our understanding… and then act like we know what we’re doing.

We need the admonition of Scripture. Keep it simple.

²¹ Don’t seek out things
that are too difficult for you,
   and don’t investigate matters
   too perplexing for you.
²² Think about what
you have been commanded,
   because you have no need
   for matters that are hidden.
²³ Don’t meddle in things
beyond your own affairs
   since you have already been shown things beyond human understanding.
²⁴ Speculation has led many people astray,
   and false conjectures have
   weakened their thought. (Sirach 3:21-24, CEB)

I think of Lent, Resurrection Sunday, the cross… and we get caught up in our theologies of why Jesus had to die. We talk about atonement theology and Christus Victor and God’s “spiritual child abuse” and on and on.

We keep seeking out things too difficult for us.

It really is this simple:

Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.

You can take your “intelligent” arguments and shred that all you want. But simple truth won’t go away.