Fixing Foolish

Have you ever done something stupid, so stupid that every time you stop to think about it, you cringe or end up shaking your head and chuckling to yourself? I have done this too many times to count, but here are just a few examples:

• When I was 19 or 20 I was driving my new car and hit a parked truck. #crash
• When I was in 6th grade I hit a sweet jump on my bike (even though I had a wobbly wheel) and the front tire came off in mid-air. #crash
• When I was a kid I tried to “bunny-hop” (jump without a ramp) a ditch but ended up racing as fast as I could straight into the ditch. #crash
• When I was a teenager I fell down a flight of stairs with my hands in my pockets. #crash

Notice that all of my examples involved crashing. If we’re not careful, dumb decisions can do more than bruise our ego—they can cause our very life to come crashing down. In other words, some of our most difficult seasons of setback and embarrassment can be traced back to intentional disobedience. King Solomon calls this foolishness. Theologian John Wayne calls it being stupid.
 

“Life is hard; it’s harder when you’re stupid.”
-John Wayne

I’m convinced that life would be much easier if we would simply do the right thing all the time. Don’t be stupid. Obedience matters. Don’t believe me? Ask Jonah.
 

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. -Ephesians 5:17 (ESV)

The above scripture in the CEV (Contemporary English Version) is more like the JWV (John Wayne Version). It says, “Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.”

What have we learned so far? Bunny-hopping your bike into a ditch is painful. Uh, yes. But no, that’s not really what I’m really talking about. It’s foolish to do the opposite of what God wants you to do.
 

5 Ways To Fix Foolish

1. Eliminate Foolish Friendships

1 Corinthians 15:33 (CEV) says, Bad friends will destroy you. You can be the right person with the right dream, but spend time with the wrong friends, and your dream can become a nightmare.

Proverbs 13:20 (MSG) says, ”Hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.”

2. Eliminate Foolish Talk

Proverbs 18:6-7 says, “The words of fools start fights. Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words.”  

Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) says, Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

3. Eliminate Foolish Ideas

King David’s foolish idea and intentional disobedience led to a major spiritual crash that resulted in a season of sorrow and grief. The good news is that he learned from his mistake. Psalm 101:4 (NLT) says, I will reject perverse (wicked) ideas and stay away from every evil.

Romans 1:21 (NLT) says, Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

Notice that the result of their foolish ideas was foolish actions!

4. Eliminate Foolish Actions

Proverbs 27:12 (CEV) says, Be cautious and hide when you see danger—don’t be stupid and walk right into trouble.

Don’t rebel.
Don’t disobey.
Don’t sin intentionally.

5. Eliminate Foolish Habits

Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT) says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Check this out. If you take the first letter from each of our 5 foolish things we need to fix (friends, talk, ideas, actions, habits) and rearrange them, you will get the word FAITH! 

Want to eliminate self-destructive crashes in 2021? Replace foolish friendships, talk, ideas, actions, and habits with faith-filled friendship, talk, ideas, actions, and habits.