Don't Be A Fool!

Don't Be A Fool!

The difference between the wise person and the fool is a major theme in the book of Proverbs. Solomon picked up on it some in Ecclesiastes as well. He, the wisest person ever to live, also made a list of foolish choices in his life. Thus, he wanted those who were naive and who lacked knowledge to hear godly instruction and receive it from an early age on. He knew from his errors that he did wrong, and there is much that we can learn from the truth that God shares through him in the Scriptures. In the context, the term "fool" is not a personally insulting or derogatory term as people might use if they hate somebody. But it is a factual description of the spiritual reality of a person who lacks wisdom. We would be wise to learn from Scripture so that we can put aside folly and grow in wisdom. The following gives 15 characteristics of foolishness.

1. Fools despise wisdom. There is a clear dichotomy in the Bible between right and wrong and between fools and those who love wisdom. Those who fear God learn wisdom, but fools hate understanding. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction."

2. The fool hates God. He has rejected God and His Son Jesus Christ, and he has great anger in his heart toward God. Proverbs 19:3 says, "The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD." He will go so far as to even convince himself that God doesn't exist because, in his foolish mind, this gives him freedom to live as he wants. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good."

3. Fools cause needless strife and adversity for themselves and others. Ecclesiastes 7:17 says, "Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?" Sin is inherently destructive, leading people to do dumb things and to put themselves in dangerous situations. Proverbs 13:21 says, "Adversity pursues sinners, but the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity." The righteous will suffer trouble and hardship in this life (Matthew 5:45), but they will avoid the needless trouble that fools create for themselves and others. The righteous will manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and their lives will bless others by pointing them to Christ.

4. Fools have a spiritual complacency about them. Proverbs 1:32 says, "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them." Having rejected the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, they think not of the coming judgment or of matters of eternal significance. They have been spiritually lulled to sleep. Ecclesiastes 4:5 says, "The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh." His complacency and lack of zeal for God, for truth, and for good works is his own undoing. The fool does not fix his hope on heaven, but upon futility, vanity, useless tasks, nothing, or on every worldly thing satan has to offer!

5. Fools do a lot of worthless talking. Proverbs 10:8 says, "The wise of heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be ruined." What this is saying that the words that fools speak are nonsensical, irrational, unedifying, of trivial matters, formulated without thinking, and based not on absolute truth but in opinion, feeling and emotion. A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind." The fool is more interested in running his mouth according to his own views even if they are not in accordance to reality or truth. The fool's speech begins with idiocy in that he rejects the Scriptures and doesn't think rationally. The result is increased wickedness, stupid choices, and madness, that is, the inability to properly evaluate decisions and life directions based on truth. Yet the fool likes to hear himself talk and keeps the babbling and jabbering going on and on. Proverbs 15:2 says, The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable. But the mouth of fools spouts folly!

6. Fools like being argumentative and stirring up strife. Any fool likes to fight, and they will do what they can to stir up trouble and provoke anger in others. Fools like to stir up controversy rather than resolving it.

7. Fools tend to have an anger issue. Proverbs 29:11.

8. For fools, doing evil is fun like a sport or hobby. Proverbs 10:23.

9. A fool follows the deceptive leading of his heart in the wrong spiritual direction. Proverbs 12:15.

10. Fools don't take sin seriously. Proverbs 14:9.

11. The ultimate form of foolishness is a person who thinks that he is smarter and wiser than God. Proverbs 26:12.

In conclusion. There will be no fools in heaven! 

~Relevant Bible Teaching~