Purpose




Thoughts of a messed up Christian saved by God's grace





Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Don't be a fool

 
Today is April 1, April Fool's Day. It has been around since medieval times, observed not just in America, but other countries. Everyone knows about it. The day to play pranks on people.

   I can honestly say I didn't get pranked today. I did pull one on Facebook that was half hearted..... no one would believe I got married today, on April Fool's Day of all days. So does the fact that I didn't get pranked mean I am not a fool? :-)

  It takes more than not falling for a prank on April Fool's Day to prove you're not a fool. Too bad. That would be such an easy test. Maybe a better one would be if you ran for Congress or not. The smart people don't.....

  As I was thinking about fools, a favorite quote came to my mind attributed to Jim Elliot: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose"

  When you consider what he did and what it cost him, that is a powerful statement. He and four other men took the Gospel to a group of murderous savages who killed him and his 4 fellow missionaries.

  The Bible talks about fools. It says things like "the fool has said in his heart there is no God", "a fool and his money are soon parted", and many other such references. 

  One would rightly assume the best way to not be a fool is to believe in God, and not just believe, but to follow and serve Him. To give up what we can't keep, to gain what we cannot lose.



  We have lost the idea of giving up anything to follow Jesus. There is hardly any difference in a Christian and sinner. We want to do anything we want, drink of the cisterns of the world, and not be inconvenienced by following Jesus.

 But yet, we can't keep any of it. Nothing. When we die, we will leave this world as we came into it, so giving up something for Christ shouldn't seem like that big of a deal to us, but it is. So if there is something in our life that we are better off not doing, if there is something we could find Biblical reasons for avoiding if we were honest, why not give it up?

  He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose......... that is the best way to not be a fool.

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