Has someone attempted to pull a prank on you today?  And did you seek revenge by pulling a more impressive prank on the prankster themselves?  All day long, I’m sure you’ve heard people make supposedly clever remarks, such as, “No foolin’,” “April Fools,” or “Just kidding.”  I’m sure many of these instances resulted in a lot of smiles and probably some good laughs, too.  Most people would likely agree that it is alright to be a “fool” on April 1, but no one desires to be called a fool throughout the other 364 days of the year.  The Bible tells us to stay away from fools and to refrain from foolish behavior as well.  Ephesians 5:17 (NIV) says, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”  We should ask God where He wants us to be and what He wants us to do.  Look to God for guidance.  Do the Lord’s will, and don’t be a fool.
Consider the story of the wise builder and the foolish builder.  Jesus said, “‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash’” (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV).  In other words, Jesus is telling us that we will have a firm foundation on which to stand, if we listen to His voice.  Through our wisdom, we will be able to stand firm, despite the trials that come our way.  But if we do not follow His leading, we will find ourselves being battered by the storms of life.  Like the foolish builder, we will be unable to remain standing on our own two feet, constantly struggling to survive the difficult roads we must travel.

So, you may be thinking, how can I avoid playing the part of a fool?  It’s very simple.  Seek the Lord for wisdom.  Furthermore, we should seek the company of individuals who are wise.  Proverbs 13:20 NIV says, “Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.”  We should not seek advice from people who cannot advise us with wisdom.  For example, we should not seek advice on how to bake a cake from someone who has never entered a kitchen and someone who does not know the different between sugar and salt.  Instead, we should patiently wait for God to send us friends who can share wisdom, friends who have had similar experiences, friends who can help us seek God’s will for our lives.  God’s word says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 14:7 NIV).  The company you keep will have a direct influence on which you become.  If you want to be a fool, find someone exhibiting foolish behavior.  If you choose to engage in this behavior, bear in mind that you may encounter danger on your unwise journey.  But if you want to be wise, hang out with people who are knowledgeable and those who are truly wise.  Brian O’Driscoll once said, “'Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”  Such a simple comparison, but for anyone who has ever prepared a meal, it is certain that this statement is certainly well stated.  Without doubt, wisdom is one of the most valuable characteristics a person can have.
Recently, I posted an online comment regarding the glorious, beautiful Creation that God has blessed us with.  Although I received a few positive replies to my original post, I was saddened to see that many people had negative comments to make.  A few of them stood out among the rest.  One individual attributed the beauty of God’s Creation to science, not God.  Another emphatically said that there was no God.  While I was somewhat disheartened to see these types of comments, I was not at all surprised.  Psalm 14:1 (NIV) states, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’  They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”  When I look at God’s Creation, I see evidence of the fact that everything was created by a Divine Hand, not a freak accident.  I can look at the impressive glaciers in Alaska, the pristine mountains of Western North Carolina, and the vast supply of blue Caribbean water, and I know that this world had a Master Designer.  Just the mere fact that a cat has 32 muscles in each individual ear is evidence to me that there is a God.

I want to challenge you to look at your surroundings.  Do you see the hand of God in the Creation around you?  Take a look at your friends.  Do you see people who are interested in the things of God, or the things of the world?  Are they wise beyond your years, or do they exhibit a lack of good judgment, a lack of knowledge, and a lack of wisdom?  Seek God’s will for your life.  He will give you friends that will impart wisdom.  He will show you the path that does not lead to a sandy, unsafe ground, but to the solid rock that shall not be moved.  Jesus Christ is the Solid Rock.  He has a plan for your life.  He wants you to live a life worth living.  So, don’t be a fool; make wise choices and enjoy living your life!

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer