As we continue the theme we began through last week’s post, In Need of Spiritual Disrupters, our target today is a condition that has afflicted humanity in general and plagued God’s people throughout the ages. There’s a condition that has afflicted humanity in general and plagued God’s people throughout the ages. Although every generation has felt its destructive influence, the condition doesn’t seem to get much focused attention. That may be due in part to the fact that it wasn’t specifically mentioned on those tablets Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai. But for whatever reason, our general tendency is just to accommodate it as one of those widespread, bothersome human qualities that we can’t do much about. Given the fact that this condition is always detrimental and can have catastrophic impact, that conclusion might warrant another look. We should also point out that God’s reaction to it is anything but accommodating.   

A Familiar Problem ~
The condition we’re referring to is what God calls foolishness, and the twisted new varieties are wreaking havoc in our country. All of us are familiar with the term and most of us have had more personal experience with it than we might like to admit. Yet in spite of our familiarity with it and the evidence of its costly outcomes, it isn’t generally considered to be a major issue. We seem to be content to address its symptoms and react to its most obvious outbreaks, but rarely engage directly with its cause. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why public exhibitions of depravity are not only being embraced as normal, but applauded and promoted.   

Lest we be tempted to dismiss foolishness as an archaic term that has no current relevance, it might be helpful to review some things God has said about the potential consequences of ignoring it. An obvious place to begin would be with the Proverbs of Solomon. As God’s specially endowed paragon of wisdom, he had deep insights and a unique perspective regarding its opposite. He offered many examples of both foolishness and wisdom and provided clear descriptions of what those who pursue each of them can expect. Speaking on God’s behalf, he offers a sobering assessment of those who choose to abandon God and embrace foolishness and describes the outcome that awaits them: 

Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away [random waywardness] of the simple [naive and foolish] will slay them,
And the complacency [false sense of security] of fools will destroy them; (Proverbs 1:29–32 NKJV)

Repetitive Patterns ~
Foolishness is detrimental to our welfare on every level, but it can also be dangerously seductive and contagious. God’s people discovered that again and again. They repeatedly demonstrated that unbridled foolishness can permeate a culture to the point that it becomes an entrenched national characteristic. When that happens with God’s people, a judgmental response from Him is virtually unavoidable. The Prophet Jeremiah lived through one of those times and echoed Solomon’s earlier assessment as he delivered this indictment from God: 

For My people are foolish,
They have not known Me.
They are silly [foolish] children,
And they have no understanding.
They are wise to do evil,
But to do good they have no knowledge. (Jeremiah 4:22 NKJV)

This much is certain. Foolishness not just a matter of people doing stupid stuff. The kind of foolishness threatening us today is a spiritual issue. It has nothing to do with intellectual limitations or cognitive disabilities. Also, it’s worth mentioning that it can’t be relegated to one of our many divisive group identities. Foolishness is not exclusively ideological, racial, political, gender specific, age related. Nor is it confined to ideology, race, politics, gender, age, or religious affiliation. Thus, we cannot shift the blame for its devastating impact to any of those familiar scapegoats. Foolishness is the direct and inevitable result of turning away from God. David understood that thousands of years ago and said it with profound simplicity:

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1 NKJV)

 Acknowledging God but Denying His Authority ~
The denial David refers to that blinds the heart and infects the mind with foolishness is not always a total rejection of the idea of God. It’s often more a matter of rejecting God’s authority to dictate human behavior than a wholesale acceptance of atheism. It’s denying His sovereignty in judging questions of right vs. wrong. Lots of people claim to believe in God while flagrantly denying and repudiating His moral judgments. As one of my coworkers years ago once said, “I believe in God, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let Him tell me what I can and cannot do.” Paul addressed that attitude and left no doubt about where it leads:

…although they knew [were aware of] God, they did not glorify [recognize, honor, obey] Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. (Romans 1:21–22 NKJV)

Among the many questions confronting us is what to do about it? How do we begin to counteract the influence of entrenched foolishness? A good place to begin is to leave our self-righteousness at the door and remember that we had our own time in that realm. Paul admonished Titus not to forget that:

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. (Titus 3:3 NKJV)

A Foolish Expectation ~
Beyond that, we should remind ourselves that we can’t expect fools to disrupt the spread of their own foolishness. An expectation like that would be, well…foolish, wouldn’t it? As we often point out, the flawed but redeemed followers of Jesus are God’s only plan for disrupting sinful foolishness and combating evil. Peter condensed it like this:

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—  (1 Peter 2:15 NKJV)

One of the most exasperating things about foolishness that we’re facing in this country is not that lost, spiritually rebellious people do foolish things, but that professing Christians support them, approve of them, encourage them, and vote for them. Another revelation from Solomon offers a reminder and fits perfectly with what we see and hear every day: 

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness. (Ecclesiastes 10:13 NKJV)

A Relevant Directive ~
Finally, an admonition delivered to Timothy by the aging Apostle Paul offers a relevant directive for us and an appropriate way to conclude a discussion that barely scratches the surface of this significant issue: 

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:22-26 NKJV)

 With these few words being offered as a backdrop, and touching but lightly on such an expansive subject for discussion and challenge to each of us, may the One in whom all Wisdom dwells grant us deliverance from our own foolish inclinations and empower us to disrupt its disastrous influence in our beloved land.

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter.

• • “The Jewish  people repeatedly demonstrated that unbridled foolishness can permeate a culture to the point that it becomes an entrenched national characteristic. When that happens with God’s people, a judgmental response from Him is virtually unavoidable.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
  • “Fools can’t be expected to disrupt the spread of their own foolishness. An expectation like that would be “foolish,” wouldn’t it? As we often point out, the flawed but redeemed followers of Jesus are God’s only plan for disrupting sinful foolishness and combating evil. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
  • “The Fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ “ The denial David refers to that blinds the heart and infects the mind with foolishness is most often a matter of rejecting God’s authority to dictate human behavior than a wholesale acceptance of atheism.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
  • “One of the most exasperating things about foolishness that we’re facing in this country is not that lost, spiritually rebellious people do foolish things, but that professing Christians support them, approve of them, encourage them, and vote for them.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  

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