Five Signs that You Are Becoming A Fool

I once read that D.L. Moody received a note right before he got up to preach one night. The only thing that was written was the word "Fool." As he stood before everyone he said, "This is interesting, I usually get letters from people without a name on it. Tonight somebody has given me a piece of paper with their name on it but no letter."

THE WORD

"Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death."

Psalm 107:17-18

Let me clear the air a bit before we jump in. I'm not condemning any person as a fool nor am I condoning the act of labeling others as fools either. I preached what I'm about to share with you in a message one time and afterwards someone confronted me by quoting Jesus' words in Matthew 5:22 ("...anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.") of which I am, for sure, familiar with.

For context Jesus is referring to unrighteous anger and the sin of labeling someone out of irritation or hatred. It is a grave thing to call someone a fool or ANY name for that matter, so understand this blog isn't a green light to throw people under the bus.

Here's the thing, you can't just BE a fool, you BECOME one. It's not what you are, it's what you become. A fool is not someone who does wrong, because everyone does wrong. Small children do wrong out of ignorance and we don't call them fools for it.

No, a fool is someone who does wrong KNOWING what's right and having the ABILITY to do what's right. Long before anyone is ever written off as a fool they begin to develop foolish behaviors. We do each other a disservice when we allow these behaviors to go unchecked.

Correction is protection. We have a responsibility to correct each other (with the Word) where it brings benefit. Galatians 6:1 says, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently..."

This is why we have SUCH A GIFT in the form of a book called Proverbs. Jam-packed with wisdom for a righteous life and warnings against a wasted life, this book transcends culture and time. It also has A LOT to say about fools, by the way. So now that I've got all of that on the table, let's dive in.

FIVE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE BECOMING A FOOL:

1. You find yourself EXPRESSING your opinion without PROCESSING information.

"Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions."

Proverbs 18:2

If you are quick to share what you think but never take the time to listen to what others think or to get full understanding of a matter, you will lose your ability to influence and lead others. SHARING your thoughts online or out loud is much easier and self-gratifying than CARING enough to sit, listen, and process the full scope of what's at hand.

The book of James truly gives us the best course of action when it comes to dialogue. "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger." The quicker you are to listen, the slower you'll be to speak, and the slower you'll be to become angry. It's a natural chain reaction that can only start when you choose pause.

2. The root of your CONFIDENCE is your ARROGANCE.

"Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe."

Proverbs 28:26

God declared from the beginning that it is intrinsically wrong for man to be alone. Your destiny and purpose are not only dependent on the Holy Spirit working in you but also on the people God put around you.

"Rise and grind" culture that celebrates the self-made entrepreneur is deceiving. I love a come-up story just as much as the next person, and I celebrate tenacity, hard work, and perseverance, but I never want to measure someone's strength or value by their self-sufficiency.

I think the world's greatest leaders share their success with others. Even Jesus gathered around Himself twelve misfits who performed the miraculous both at His side and in His stead. If your confidence is solely reliant on the person staring at you in the mirror, you may accomplish a lot in this life, but it's only a fraction of what it could be with humility.

3. You think a WICKED LIFE is WICKED FUN.

"A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom."

Proverbs 10:23

Another translation says it this way, "Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool..." It's a sad thing to watch people glory in their sin. We all make mistakes and we all commit sin, so let me be clear, this is not about judging peoples' eternity or salvation. Here's what I know to be true, the difference between a believer and an unbeliever is not as simple as the presence and absence of sin in their life. Both sin. The difference is their attitude TOWARD their sin.

The Holy Spirit dwells inside of the believer to convict and guide into truth (John 16). If there is no conviction of sin, no guilt for wrongdoing, then you owe it to yourself to reflect on the very salvation of your soul. Isaiah gives us a stark warning in chapter 5, verse 20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."

Right and wrong still lie in the eyes of God. Our capability to judge limitedly will be subjected to His ability to judge rightly. We will all stand before God and answer for how we lived our lives. If that doesn't give you pause, you're on the path to becoming a fool.

4. You stay in a FIGHT because you can't keep your lips TIGHT.

"The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating."

Proverbs 18:6

Everybody had that friend in school who just couldn't stop running their mouths (I had a couple). The result is inevitable. The irresistible force paradox refers to the debate surrounding what happens when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object. I don't have to hypothesize, I've witnessed it. When unstoppable lips collide with an immovable ego, punches get thrown, lips get swollen, and (hopefully) lessons get learned.

When one of my kids tells on the other (for ridiculous stuff) I jokingly say, "Rat lips get fat lips!" They're getting old enough to understand things now, so I should probably stop, I know. But the truth is, self-control is our most basic means of survival. When we lack the ability to restrain ourselves, be it with food, drugs, sex, or words, we self-destruct.

I'll let James speak to this one as well, because he makes it pretty simple. "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless." (James 1:26) So the Bible likens the worth of our walk to the words of our mouth. Let that sink in.

5. You become a DANGER every time you feel ANGER.

"Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end."

Proverbs 29:11

My kids throw tantrums. I'm getting paid back for all the ones I threw when I was their age. But they're kids. What I find most tragic is when I see adults who have never learned to shed the tantrums. I remember sitting in the ER one time with Jill for an issue she was having with her headaches. Across from us sat a younger couple in their twenties who, from what I could gather, were there because they had gotten in an argument and he decided to decorate the house with holes in the walls. I could be wrong, but even if I misjudged the situation, this is not a completely uncommon scenario. Different stage of life, same old tantrum.

Anger is a normal, human emotion. I'm guilty of throwing my own version of a tantrum at times. It's not wrong to have anger. It IS wrong for anger to have you. Ephesians 4:26 tells us to "be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger." To let the sun go down on your anger is relative to allowing a broken bone to set incorrectly. If that bone is not in the right position before it starts to "heal" it will have to be re-broken in order to truly be set right.

Where there is rage (abnormal anger) in a person's life, there is always a root that must be confronted. In the process of maturing physically and spiritually, we must not overlook the necessity to mature emotionally. That doesn't happen without our full consent and participation.

CONCLUSION

Just another reminder to think twice before pointing fingers. Some people likely crossed your mind as you read through these. Pray for them. Pray for YOU. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal shortcomings in your own life and to help you steward well the responsibility and opportunities you have to instruct others in these areas.

Be on the look out for five more next week. In the meantime pursue wisdom, live with humility, and confront complacency!