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Jenny's Pennies: April Fools for Christ
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Here’s my 2 cents whether you want it or not!
April: April Fools for Christ
Wise Up! Be a Fool for Christ!
April Fools is a time to tease, prank, and make a fool out of others. It is not the most respectable “holiday”. However, during this month of foolishness I challenge you to be a fool for Christ!
How does one become a fool for Christ? Is this only a play on words, or can it be put to practice? If a fool says “There is no God”, then we should want to strive towards the opposite. The opposite of a fool is one who is wise. Our mission: To obtain wisdom. In our quest for wisdom we need to be sure we are looking for God’s wisdom and not our own. The best way to do that is to go to the Bible! The book of Proverbs is a manual of do’s and don’ts from beginning to end. Here are some of the things that Proverbs says about wisdom:
1. A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.
(Proverbs 1:5)
*Listen and learn. Seek wisdom, counsel, and advice.
2. My sons, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother. (Proverbs 1:8)
*Obey your parents. Ask your parents for advice and follow it! Learn from the mistakes of others before you make your own!
3. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. (Proverbs 1:10)
My son, do to walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path. (Proverbs 1:15)
*Do not be influenced by sinners. If you recognize sin, don’t follow it. Make your own path (God’s path) and influence others to follow you. It is not necessary for you to “experiment” or “sow your wild oats”. The path of sin can only lead to regret, but you will never regret following God’s path.
4. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes…(Proverbs 3:5-7)
*Trust in God. God knows everything, you don’t! Put your faith and trust in God and He will always tell you the right thing to do. Don’t think that you know everything!
5. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.(Proverbs 3:9)
*Give back to God. You can do this by tithing, but also by giving your gifts and talents to God. After all, God gave you your talents to be used for Him. It is important that everything He has given to us we give back! God will bless your talents and use them how He intends to.
6. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. (Proverbs 4:24)
*Don’t lie. God wants us to be honest. Praises to God should not come out of a deceitful mouth. We should always give God our best!
7. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.
(Proverbs 4:25-27)
*Keep your eyes on God. Stay focused and don’t be distracted. Many things may look good or look easier, but it may not be what God wants for you. Seek Him and keep His will and plan first in your life.
8. Remove your way far from her (immoral woman), and do not go near the door of her house. (Proverbs 5:8)
*Stay pure. Do not engage in sexual immorality and promiscuity. The closer your relationship is with God and the more wisdom you obtain the easier it will be to say “no” and stay pure.
9. In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. (Proverbs 10:19)
*If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Use tact when speaking. Be careful what you say, how you say it, and when you say it. Don’t be long-winded and give others a chance to speak. You do not always need to give your opinion or speak your mind. Learn when to keep quiet.
10. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30)
*Win souls! Witness to others and help bring them to Christ. Share the gospel! Gospel means “good news” and everyone likes to hear good news!
11. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)
*Avoid alcohol. Alcohol impairs your ability to think, speak, and act clearly. You cannot remain wise and make good decisions when you are not in control of your own mind and body. Remember to include God in all of your decisions. He should always be in control and He never wants you to be out of control!
That is only a few of the many verses in Proverbs that mention wisdom. I do not think that it is a coincidence that there are exactly 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. Seven out of the 12 months of the year have 31 days. You can read a chapter of Proverbs every day of the month, daily and continually absorbing God’s words and wisdom. In one year you could read through Proverbs 12 times! The more you read it, the more you absorb it. The more you absorb it, the more you live it.
Proverbs 4:5 says “Get wisdom! Get understanding!” Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” In Proverbs it says repeatedly to “hear, listen, attain, receive, keep, do not forget, give attention, apply/incline your ear”. To be wise you must be willing to listen to wise people. Learn from them and study as you would in school. Have you ever heard of “life’s lessons”? Take note of good and bad, right and wrong, and what works and what does not. If someone corrects or critiques you, learn from it and apply it rather than be upset. God wants us to be wise. That’s why it is so important to have a closer relationship with Him. He will tell you right from wrong and He will place wise, mature, experienced people in your life to guide you and teach you.
If you do not include God in your search for wisdom, then you will remain a fool. But to be a fool for Christ is to love Him with all that is within you, to be eager and hungry to learn from His wisdom. We have all acted foolish when we have had a crush on someone. I urge you now to fall head over heals in love with Jesus and just act a fool! “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people…” 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV). Christians are often thought of as peculiar, but as long as we are seeking God and walking in His will then there is nothing wrong with being a little Jesus-crazy.
That’s my two cents!
Jenn Bathgate
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