<\/p>\n
No one wants to be thought of as a fool …<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n(Wesley Chapel, Florida, 1995) Joseph Aaron, 20, was hit in the leg with pieces of the bullet he fired at the exhaust pipe of his car. When repairing the car, he needed to bore a hole in the pipe. When he couldn\u2019t find a drill, he tried to shoot a hole in it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n(Ontario, Canada, 1996) A man cleaning a bird feeder on his balcony of his condominium apartment in this Toronto suburb slipped and fell 23 stories to his death, police said Monday. Stefan Macko, 55, was standing on a wheeled chair Sunday when the accident occurred, said Inspector Arcy Honer of the Peel regional police. It appears the chair moved and he went over the balcony, Honer said. One of those freak accidents. No foul play is suspected.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
We will go to great lengths to avoid doing foolish things …<\/p>\n
And still, we manage to do so many things that are just plain dumb. If only we only thought about the situation more. If only we realized the more obvious consequences of our actions. Perhaps if we learn why some people are foolish, it will prevent us from following after them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Fool Doesn\u2019t Want to Learn<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 1:22). A fool doesn\u2019t want to take the time to learn, thinking that the knowledge he currently has is sufficient. Oh, he may act as if he is listening, but because his behavior doesn\u2019t change, we know he wasn\u2019t truly listening. \u201cBut everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall<\/i>\u201d (Matthew 7:26-27). How could one be more foolish than to come to the Lord for His words and then give no thought for the future?<\/p>\n
Oh, and you can\u2019t force a fool to learn. \u201cThough you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 27:22).<\/p>\n
Inevitably the fool reveals his true nature. Foolishness is not something that is easily hidden. \u201cEvery prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 13:16).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Fool is More Interested in His Own Words<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
When a fool enters a discussion, he is not interested in learning. He just desires an opportunity to spout off what little he knows. \u201cA fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 18:2). And once the fool\u2019s mouth starts flapping, we are given full proof as to how little is there. \u201cA prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 12:23). This is why wise men speak as little as possible (Proverbs 10:19). The more you say, the more likely you will make a mistake. But such does not concern the fool. \u201cThe tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 15:2).<\/p>\n
Since a fool\u2019s conversation doesn\u2019t have much in the way of content, he makes up for the lack with a large number of words. \u201cA fool’s voice is known by his many words<\/i>\u201d (Ecclesiastes 5:3). Watch the next time you see a politician interviewed. When the interviewer trips him up with questions he wasn\u2019t expecting, words will just pour out of his mouth as he frantically tries to think of a reasonable sounding answer. By the time he gets done babbling, you have forgotten what was the question. Meanwhile, it appears no harm has been done as he hasn\u2019t said anything of consequence anyway.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fools are Led by Their Emotions<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps<\/i>.\u201d (Proverbs 14:15). It is easier to just accept what you are told. It takes effort to weigh the value of each word. Hence, a foolish person is easily led into sin (Proverbs 7:6-27). The wise person realizes that Satan and his followers lie (John 8:44).<\/p>\n
Fools want to be right, but they don\u2019t have the ability to reason from the truth. Therefore, when they are caught in the wrong, their impulsive reaction is to fight. \u201cA fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 18:6-7). He gets carried away by the emotional desire to win at any cost. \u201cIt is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 20:3).<\/p>\n
Nothing labels a man a fool better than a man\u2019s anger. \u201cDo not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools<\/i>\u201d (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Yet a man\u2019s anger rarely solves problems (James 1:20). Righteous living requires consideration and thought. There are far too many traps laid for us by Satan. To give replies without careful consideration is unwise (Proverbs 18:13). A man caught up in the emotions of anger is not looking for the traps.<\/p>\n
Not all fools blast out in their anger. Some hide their feelings and use subtle backstabbing to gain their revenge. \u201cWhoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 10:18). But it doesn\u2019t matter if a person\u2019s anger is dramatic or subtle, the anger of men rarely leads to righteousness.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fools are Arrogant<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cHe who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 28:26). The foolish man always believes he is right. He doesn\u2019t seek the advice of others. Hence, the fool doesn\u2019t really believe he can sin. This is what\u00a0led to the downfall of Israel (Judges 17:6).<\/p>\n
\u201cFools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 14:9). Even when caught in sin, the fool will try to minimize the impact by saying that the sin wasn\u2019t really so bad. They will excuse themselves by pointing out that others do the same thing. Some will go so far as to declare that the sin really isn\u2019t a sin. In the end, the fool makes a mockery of the seriousness of sin. Sin becomes a sport to the fool (Proverbs 10:23). Think about the young men who call fornication \u201cscoring.\u201d Or, gambling institutions who want their wares to be called \u201cgaming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without the belief that he can sin, the foolish man plows through life ignoring the signs of danger up ahead. \u201cA prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 22:3). The fool won\u2019t let such a minor thing as sin stop him from reaching for his goal.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ultimately, a Fool Denies God<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Because a fool refuses all restraint on his actions, he will ultimately turn against God. \u201cThe fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good<\/i>\u201d (Psalm 53:1). They use their own standards and emotions to judge whether actions are right or wrong. They no longer consider God\u2019s thoughts on any matter. Soon God never enters their minds (Romans 1:20-22).<\/p>\n
It is not that the evidence of God\u2019s existence is not available to them. The evidence is obvious, but to accept the evidence means to acknowledge that God is over them. Such men would much rather create gods to please their whims than to submit to the one, true God.<\/p>\n
Why should any want to be such a fool?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrior Chapter\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKeys to Understanding\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext Chapter\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Suffering with Fools No one wants to be thought of as a fool … (Wesley Chapel, Florida, 1995) Joseph Aaron, 20, was hit in the leg with pieces of the bullet he fired at the exhaust pipe of his car. When repairing the car, he needed to bore a hole in the pipe.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":827,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-858","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":65723,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/searching-for-my-friend\/the-pits\/","url_meta":{"origin":858,"position":0},"title":"The Pits","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pits by Jeffrey W. Hamilton \"He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown\" (Psalms 7:15-16). Such can be said of most\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":65766,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/searching-for-my-friend\/arrogant-fools\/","url_meta":{"origin":858,"position":1},"title":"Arrogant Fools","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Arrogant Fools I ran into an interesting line in a book I was reading: \"Arrogance makes a man stupid, stupidity can make him even more arrogant.\" L. E. Modesitt It reminded me of what Paul noted: \"We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10516,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/genesis-a-study-of-the-beginning\/gods-covenant-with-abram\/faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":858,"position":2},"title":"Faith (Genesis)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Faith We talk so often about faith and our need to have faith, but exactly what is faith? How would you describe it? In the Bible, faith is used in two different senses. First there is the faith that consists of the things you believe. The doctrines and teachings that\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":65000,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-john\/the-blind-man\/","url_meta":{"origin":858,"position":3},"title":"The Blind Man","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Blind Man Text: John 9 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The disciples wondered what often is curious to us, \u201cWhere does suffering come from?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We understand that God controls his creation. We know that God is all knowing. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Suffering is generally viewed as a punishment. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But that is not what the Scriptures teach. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Suffering,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52038,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/proverbs-practical-advice-on-life\/character-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":858,"position":4},"title":"Character Matters (Proverbs)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Character Matters Text: Proverbs 14:1-35 Consequences to Character (Proverbs 14:1-5) Remember Proverbs 9:1? The home is the woman's domain. A wise woman is constructive. A foolish woman is destructive, and she'll have no one to blame but herself. For a young man looking for a potential wife, he needs to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1110,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/the-lord-your-god-is-an-awesome-god\/god-cannot-lie\/","url_meta":{"origin":858,"position":5},"title":"God Cannot Lie (Awesome God)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 5, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"God Cannot Lie Text: I Kings 22:1-28 The gods of heathen men were molded in man\u2019s own image. But man is flawed. \u201cProfessing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/858\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}