Know a Fool?

I have confronted fools, participated in conversations with them, and have been used and abused by them. You can't win a confrontation with a foolish person even if you consider them a best buddy or someone you might even die for.  Fools will always be fools unless they allow God to take hold over their minds, bodies and spirits and even then there is still much work they will need to do to stop entertaining people in ungodly ways.

Here are some things to consider when dealing with foolish (stupid, crazy-making, silly) people:

1.  Don't further entertain them with any conversation that sounds righteous.  Fools have the mindset to change anything they deem serious into a joke.  They feed off of attention--give them none when you know full well what is on your mind is not a laughing matter.  Until they stop fooling around, keep your wisdom to yourself.

2.  Fools are not usually good partners, leaders, workers, friends, sons, daughters, etc.  Many silly people are selfish.  They have trained themselves to get attention from others by any means necessary including: insulting, acting threatening, pranking, etc.  Then when they aren't well-received by others, they accuse people of having no sense of humor, acting too serious, or "that person is mean" and what are they when fools name-call or bad mouth others?

3.  When you encounter a fool, be polite, but don't invite him or her into your home whenever possible.  People like this seek information to go back and share with others.  If you have something that you care about at home or you do certain things that you wouldn't want to get out, don't let a fool show up and siphon material from observation for his or her next act.  Folks forget just how private their home life is and don't mind letting anyone and everyone in--bad move!

4.   Foolish people are typically depressed, have mental illness or personality disorders.

Unfortunately, people are laughing at foolish people not realizing why they are so ridiculous, funny, or ignorant.  Many troubled minds are that way due to harsh upbringings, past or current substance addictions, and mental challenges.  What you see in public, isn't always what you get at home with these people.  "She is so funny," says a fool's admirer.  "Yeah, but she's also weird--very weird (you don't know her at home), just be careful with that fool!" says the discerning observer.

5.  Consider this, fools are not children of light.

As much as you would like to think that your favorite person is one of God's chosen, this is usually not the case if he or she demonstrates a long list of unfruitful and sinful behavior.  So think twice before you say that you know someone is going to heaven or "I know him/her very well..." just because he or she told some good jokes and made people laugh or you spent some time with a foolish person, doesn't mean that he or she is all that "fun, great, sweet" away from you.

God is a righteous god not an immoral one or naive one.  Know who fools are serving.

Nicholl McGuire is the author of Know Your Enemy the Christian's Critic as well as many other nonfiction books.

Martin Luther King Jr. "Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool" August 27, 1967

Fool

Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

Ecclesiastes 10:3

We have all met our share of fools and/or played the fool some time or another in our lives. The critical fool comes to you with a lot of nonsense. The world is a joke, your beliefs are a joke and anything that looks a little bit funny, a fool is going to find a reason to laugh. When you are serious, he tries to make a joke. When you are angry, the fool tries to play you for a fool. If you aren’t too careful, you might start acting like a fool.

As much as we desire to help people, we must admit to ourselves that some people just can’t be helped. Unless God himself comes down from heaven and touches some of these people personally, they will remain fools.

Think of all the time you think you might have wasted in your life trying to help a fool, just know that God saw your efforts even if the fool didn’t appreciate or care about what you did for him or her. Some fools criticize your efforts not in a mean-spirited way, but in what they consider a playful way. “I’m just kidding…you know I love everything you do for me…but next time make me a sandwich, fluff my pillow and be sure my bath is ready wifey.” Do you think this fool is serious? Maybe not. But there is a lot said in a joke.

Fools have to keep their stand-up routine fresh so they will talk about you to others, and even accuse you of acting like a fool. Maybe at one time you were, a fool for love. You may have believed that if you loved a certain foolish partner enough, cared for him or her, and did everything they asked, they would change, but even God himself had to remind you, “It just isn’t in the plan, move on.” You may have continued doing for the fool until one day you awoke to a harsh reality that you were an even bigger fool for putting up with the fool’s nonsense for so long!

Critical fools aren’t just hanging out at the water cooler making fun of the boss or laughing at the dinner table during the holidays, but fools show up when you least expect it. Although they may appear nice and polite, they too, like so many of the other critics described in this book, have another side that isn’t so jovial.

In 1 Samuel 25, we read of Nabal, whose name means fool. After David and his army watched over this man’s servants, animals and property, he made a request for Nabal to be favorable toward his men since they were going to be in his area during a festive time; however, Nabal took offense and questioned who was this David and assumed that these were servants breaking away from their masters. Not only that, he didn’t want to share his food and drink with them either despite their good deeds. David received word about Nabal’s negative reaction to his request. He felt like Nabal was paying him “evil for good,” according to the scripture. Therefore, he was ready to kill the man and destroy everything else that he had owned. However, the man’s wife Abigail rushed to her husband’s defense. She saved him from David’s wrath; however, days later God struck Nabal and he died.

From this story, it is clear that Nabal did something that many of us have been guilty of jumping to conclusions, assuming the worse, being controlling and overprotective when there is no need to be. If Nabal had took the time to ask further questions of his servants, observe the men, and talk with his wife, his life may have been spared. Think of times when you may have thought badly of someone only to later find out all your suspicions were proven false?

The critical fool shuts out wisdom and the people who deliver it.

Think of a student for a moment in any classroom setting. When the individual attends classes he or she is reading from text that someone else has written and hopefully obtaining information that will help him or her perform a task in the future. It is safe to assume that a wise student attending classes is not only receiving the information he or she is reading, but the individual is also questioning the text, finding additional ways to use it, understanding the text, meeting with others about it, and doing other things that could help the student grow in wisdom. Yet, the fool, may glance at the text, pick out the parts he or she disagrees with while ignoring the rest, and avoid talking to others about it while simply treating the book as nothing more than leisure reading to pass the time away.

Now as a believer, you are receiving biblical information and applying it to your life, but some of you will also teach, question, and use it to create additional materials to help you and others. With all of your studying, you are growing in wisdom.

Critics don’t want to do any of these things unless somehow they can use the material to attack others while elevating self. They aren’t interested in deep study. They aren’t interested in discovering ways that they could become a better student of the gospel.

I personally believe this same attitude is what separates the good laymen and women of the gospel from the bad ones. Some are too busy telling everyone else what to do, but they aren’t interested in applying the Scriptures to their own lives. Is it any wonder men and women aren’t getting saved and living their lives for Christ in record numbers? Sometimes the teachers distributing the material don’t understand enough about their own walk to help someone else.

Critics know that in order for one to be considered wise, he or she will have to read, write, meditate and do other things that will sometimes conflict with his or her personal habits. Some will fake knowledge while pretending to be concerned about people. While others will claim they don’t understand what is required of them, “I don’t know what you are talking about, I can’t do it…that’s too difficult…I don’t have time,” some might say. They may start recalling old stories of bad teachers from the past that didn’t teach them anything or strict parents who preached to them about everything. Although all of these reasons are legitimate as to why a person may not want to pursue higher education, learn more about God, or better themselves physically, they shouldn’t keep others from growing in wisdom with their negative talk.

Solution:

 

When the opportunity is there to study the Bible, even if it means a chapter a day, that’s what believers should do and then apply it to their daily living.  For instance, someone is acting foolishly toward you and others, talk to this person away from public view.  If need be, record a phone conversation only if you feel that the fool might cause future problems.  Get straight to the point when talking to the fool.  Don't laugh or joke with him or her when you know the message you are trying to convey is serious.  Separate yourself from the fool when he or she continues to disrespect you. 

The new believer, who might still act very much like a fool, is a work in progress, and in time he or she will be presented with the opportunity to say yes or no when it comes to accepting Jesus into his or her life. We should never force anyone by scare tactics, pressure, material wealth or any thing else to get them to accept the Christian faith.

However, we should periodically reread the Bible verses that talk about the fool, so that we may be prepared for them when they come along wanting to argue or manipulate the scripture for their own selfish reasons. We must also keep in mind that we too can easily look like a fool by disputing with a fool while chasing after them with wisdom they are not ready to hear. Just as people go to lawyers, doctors, and psychiatrists in time of need, so too will they come to you as God directs.

A look back…

Someone may have told you to read the Bible, attend church, change your dress attire, and make other changes you weren’t ready to make; therefore, you made excuses, put up a fuss or simply told him or her, “No.” In time, you noticed some of the things you were doing in your life were foolish. Gradually, you decided to consider what a family member, friend or stranger had been telling you. As days or years passed, you made some adjustments, but most likely not on God’s messenger or advisers’ time watch.

Our responsibility is to drop the seeds of wisdom in the sinner’s mind as God moves us, then trust that in time those seeds will sprout and grow.

Scripture Reference

Proverbs 1:5

Proverbs 8:33

Proverbs 9:9

Proverbs 13: 9-10

Proverbs 18:15

Prayer

Lord, show me where I am going wrong in my ministering to the lost. I don’t want to put pressure on my brothers or sisters to make changes in their lives that they aren’t ready to make at this time. Tell me what it is that I should be saying and doing to cause them to draw nearer to you and move on their hearts and minds in Jesus name.