Ryan's Ramblings

Momma Bear

“Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.” (Proverbs 17:12, NIV)

Years ago my family was enjoying a sunny day at the water park, and the four of us were swimming in the lazy river. It wasn’t too deep—you could walk as easily as float—and my girls, ages eight and six, were having a blast, putting their swimming lessons to good use. People were laughing, playing, splashing around. Others lounged on tubes, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

All was peaceful… until it wasn’t.

My youngest daughter was swimming along when suddenly she slipped under the inner tube of a high school girl who was more interested in tanning and the boy nearby, than in what was happening around her. She didn’t notice my daughter was caught underneath her tube.

My wife saw it first. Then I saw something that stunned me. My kind, gentle, soft-spoken wife—small in stature but mighty in that moment—grabbed the tube, flipped the girl into the water, and pulled our daughter up sputtering but safe. She quickly apologized, explained what had happened, and all was fine.

Right then, I felt the full weight of the phrase—don’t mess with a momma bear.

A mother protecting her child is a force to be reckoned with. But Scripture says there’s something even more dangerous: “…a fool bent on folly.” That’s saying something, because a raging bear (and trust me, a protective mom) can be terrifying. But a fool who won’t quit is worse. The wreckage never stops—dragging everything down.

When Proverbs talks about a “fool bent on folly,” it isn’t just picturing one obnoxious person—it’s describing a force that’s reckless, relentless, and harmful. And in our world, that kind of folly is everywhere. You see it in the endless scroll of social media that never stops to listen. You feel it in the constant churn of news that stirs outrage but never brings peace. You notice it in the distractions we run to that promise escape but leave us anxious and empty.

The danger of folly is this: it won’t be corrected, it won’t quit, and it won’t lead you anywhere good. It subtly pulls you under and leaves you gasping for air. The girl that day in the lazy river just got wet. But folly will drown you. We must stay alert and avoid the deadly drift.

Paul put it this way: 

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16, NIV)

Avoid the fool—be wise about what you let shape you. Step away from danger and out of the current of folly. Quiet the noise. Refuse the outrage. Guard against distraction. And fix your eyes on Jesus, for He is wisdom and truth.

He alone will keep you afloat.