The Fool's Way

"The way of fools seems right to them,

but the wise listen to advice.

Fools show their annoyance at once,

but the prudent overlook an insult. . .

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,

but a fool's heart blurts out folly."

Proverbs 12:15,16,23

No one wants to be called a fool.  The word usually conjures up images of a jester wearing a silly hat and going to great lengths to get a laugh or a goofball who no one respects but sets a good example of what not to do and how not to live.  Neither of these figures are to be emulated.  If I want to avoid such folly, I'd be wise to pay attention to these proverbs.

Self-righteous.  It is said that a man who represents himself in a court of law has a fool for a lawyer.  It's impossible to see myself and the situation I currently find myself in a completely objective manner.  As a human, I'm naturally biased in one way or another.  Furthermore, my judgement is tainted by sin, making my ability to evaluate my own motivation for purity, or my choices for wisdom, or my state of being for decency.  In my own mind, the reasons I do things may seem virtuous, the decisions I make look sensible, and my emotional condition appears to be perfectly healthy.  Then I get an outside opinion and find out I'm off.

If I only depend on myself for judgments, I'll be off-course and not even know it.  It's easy to stray when using only my own sense of direction for guidance.  This is why explorers and back-country adventurers use a compass because it's easy to get lost when there is nothing by which to judge.  I need a standard, a tool to find my bearings, an objective estimation of where I am.  God is this immovable, righteous and holy standard.  He is the "true north" by which I can always gauge my direction of travel, and only He can accurately judge the state of my heart.  I must be willing, however, to accept godly advice from other humans because many times He uses people to deliver His warnings, guidance and help.

If I think I already know the answers I'm a fool and will never listen to the wisdom God is trying to convey to me.

Hyper-sensitive.  I live in a culture that teaches me to stand up for myself, to never let an offense slide, to point out the faults of others.  Therefore, since such ways appeal so much to by flesh, it's easy for me to be easily offended as I go through my days.  Instead of giving people the benefit of the doubt, considering the possibility that they are having a bad day, might by going through a personal crisis, or could be experiencing some kind of loss, I find myself being hard on others.  In fact, I come to expect more from everyone else than I can even do myself.

This is one of the characteristics of the Pharisees; the group of Jewish scholars often criticized by Jesus as placing a heavy burden on the backs of the people they led (Matthew 23:3-4).  When I become so quick to point out ways others offend me, I'm taking part in a similar habit.  I'm more attentive to my own rights and feelings, failing to even consider the one who "offended" me.  Instead, I can let the insults roll off me, trusting that God will avenge me if I'm ever truly insulted (Romans 12:19-20).

If my skin is so thin that every off-word wounds my heart I'm a fool who sets the bar so high for others that I can't even reach it myself.

Slow-to-speak.  It is said that Abraham Lincoln quipped, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."  I have to admit, it's hard for me to remain silent when I think I have something smart, or helpful, or beneficial to say.  When someone is going through a hard time, or others are sharing their stories, or I hear advice that doesn't strike me as sound, I'm quick to pipe up, sharing what I know.

Instead of trying to prove my worth by sharing what I know, I can pay attention, practicing the art of listening.  I've seen many-a-know-it-all who seems to suck all the oxygen out of the room.  They can't seem to resist any opportunity to show off what they know, to highlight their own estimation of their cleverness, to act as if the world can't go on without hearing what they have to say.  As much as these types cause me to cringe and run the other way, I have to admit that I have a bit of the same desire within.  Who doesn't want to feel important and needed, that their knowledge can help others along?  Therefore, I must be careful to only speak when the time is right; when its best for all parties involved and according to God's leading (James 3:17).  Sometimes, it's just time to be quiet (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

If I'm quick to share my knowledge without discretion I'm a fool who never learned consideration and prudence.

I never want to play the fool, but often I tend to act less-than wise.  If I want to avoid the fool's way, I must guard against self-righteousness by letting God humble me and be my guide, to cut others a break so I'm not so quick to be offended by their insults, and to avoid speaking up so quickly, paying attention to when it's time to share what I know.  In these ways I'll stick to the way of wisdom.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to listen to His guidance.

When am I most easily offended?

How do I spend my time criticizing others?     

Knowledgeable Zeal

"Brothers,

my heart's desire and prayer to God

for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God,

but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

Since they did not know the righteousness

that come from God

and sought to establish their own,

they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Christ is the end of the law 

so that there may be righteousness

 for everyone who believes."

Romans 10:1-4

His love for exercise combined with his passion for helping people made it an obvious choice:  He would open a gym.  His enthusiasm was infectious and soon the membership grew, fueling his excitement.  Ideas flowed as he brainstormed with his friends.  Soon, he trusted that business would improve and he would be able to expand.

Unfortunately, this man's zeal was not enough.  He possessed the passion and understanding of his field of interest, but lacked business know-how.  Success in the business world takes more than just enthusiasm and a good idea, it also takes knowledge.

The same could be said for my Christian walk.  I can feel much excitement about what Jesus does for me in redeeming my life, giving me hope for eternity with Him, and offering a greater purpose for my days.  I may want to shout it from the rooftops:  "Jesus loves me. . .and He loves you too!"

My enthusiasm, though, is not enough.  If I don't seek to know God's ways by studying His word and listening to His teachings, then my zeal may be based on fallacy which results in ungodly fruit.

Works

I grew up thinking that if I worked hard enough, good things would come my way.  I learned from my parents, teachers and other trusted adults that I could change the world if only I exerted enough effort.  With this kind of work ethic ingrained in my being, I began my walk with Jesus.  Trying to apply this same philosophy in God's kingdom, however, only put me at odds with Him.

Instead of thinking my service to God makes me right with Him, I must understand that I am saved by grace.  There is nothing I can do to earn God's grace:  It is freely given out of love for me.  Keeping my true identity as a sinner incapable of saving myself helps to guard against my inclination to judge others.

Another fallacy is the belief that if I work hard enough, my efforts will counteract all the times I ignore God's gentle, quiet voice, nudging me away from destructive patterns that conradict His teachings.  My ministries, volunteer commitments or good deeds will never take away my sin: Only the blood of Jesus can accomplish such a feat.  Understanding this truth will guard against my tendency to commit myself to activities out of a sense of guilt instead of as a response to my Father's call.

Other times I get caught up in the idea that life is like a formula; if I do "A" and "B" then I will get "C."  God, however, is sovereign and His plan for my life may or may not follow this pattern.  I cannot begin to understand the mind of God.  As He said through the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. . . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)  Grasping the mysterious nature of God will help to guard against frustration when things don't go the way I think they ought.

Coupling zeal for the gospel with knowledge of the love and grace God extends to all will result in the works of His mighty hand in my life.

Unrepentance

"I am sorry for disrupting the community movie night and not listening to you.  I know I made it hard on you and I wanted to let you know that it will never happen again."  The boy's apology sounded good.  At first, I was so impressed with his heartfelt confession and pledge to do better.  Unfortunately, I later realized these were mere words meant to impress his mother and I.  Soon, he was back to his old, trouble making behavior.

Recognizing myself as a sinner who has violated God's commands is only part of the package deal of committing my life to Christ.  The other part is in my repentance from my sinful ways.  This doesn't mean I will always think, speak and act perfectly.  What it does mean, however, is that I have turned away from my old ways and made up my mind to follow Jesus instead.

Many times, though, my life remains unchanged.  I continue to live as though I am still my own boss, not paying attention to where Jesus is leading me.  I am too caught up in my present way of living and too comfortable to give up any of those activities, habits and ways of thinking that run counter to God's ways.  Understanding that change is necessary as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ will protect me from looking just like the world.

Another danger is when I hear God's gentle voice convicting me to modify my thought patterns, end the use of offensive words, or stop taking part in ungodly behavior, but I simply ignore Him.  If I really comprehended how my obedience is linked to my love for Jesus, then I would be able to live the holy life to which I am called. (John 14:15, 1 Peter 1:15)

Still other hazards lurk in the belief that my sins are covered by the blood of Jesus so I don't need to make much of a big deal about these transgressions that abound in my life.  Taking the free gift of salvation that is offered through Christ means that I also accept the redemption His blood makes possible.  As I enter into relationship with God, then, His holiness makes my unworthiness all the more evident.  Living with an appreciation of God's view of sin as an affront to His perfect nature means I, too, will see my sinful ways as abhorrent.  Gaining such insight will keep me from turning the invaluable gift of grace into something cheap and easy: It cost Jesus His life!

Coupling zeal for the gospel with knowledge of the importance of repentance leads to humility  and a desire to live in obedience to my Lord.

Lukewarmness

He was everything to everybody: Warm and engaging to those who wanted compassion, tough and hard-as-nails to those who desired results, and funny and entertaining to those who merely wanted to feel good.  Consequently, it was hard to know what this man really believed:  This politician didn't stand for anything.

In many ways, it is easy for me as a follower of Christ to retain the same attitude.  The danger here is that my lukewarmness will be an affront to God. (Revelation 3:16)

One hazard of living on the fence is in my outlook: When it comes to Jesus, I am neither hot nor cold; I can either take Him or leave Him.  I'm glad He saved me from eternal death, but I just don't feel the urge to tell anyone about Him or to live in a way that please Him.  I feel guilty about this fact, but I sometimes think that task belongs to someone better trained to do it or who is more gung-ho than I.  If I would realize that either I am working for Christ or against Him, "apathy" would never again be a word used in the same sentence as my name. (Matthew 12:30)

Another danger is in becoming desensitized to sin.  I am continually surrounded by sinful living.  I begin to think, Sin doesn't really seem like that big of a deal, after all, its my nature, right?  To guard against this numbness toward sin, however, I will need to understand the just nature of God.  In His eyes, just one of my sins earns me the electric chair.  Therefore, I cannot afford to carry a relaxed and easy-going attitude toward sin without offending God.

Another risk is in finding myself to feel content with the knowledge that I will go to heaven when I die.  If I stay in my comfortable place where I am never confronted with the reality of the millions who are lost, I may never care about the unsaved.  To protect against this kind of indifference, I must look beyond my own salvation and expand my vision.

In coupling zeal for the gospel with knowledge that there is no middle of the road when it comes to Jesus, my lukewarmness will turn to fire.

Passion for Christ is not enough to live a fruitful life.  To guard against ungodly fruit, I will need to understand that I can't work my way into God's favor nor can the grace He offers be taken lightly.  I also will need to guard against apathy which naturally occurs when I don't choose a side.  As I base my faith on the Truth, however, I will find a passion that will grow and I will begin to encompass a larger view as my zeal is no longer empty, but rooted in godly knowledge.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can guard against fallacies that lead to empty living.

How do I carry an indifferent attitude toward sin?

In what ways do I think my efforts will counteract my sin?