The Sport of Being a Fool

-


Scripture

23     Doing wrong is like sport to a fool,
        but wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding.

Observation

It’s easy to get caught up in foolish behavior. Sometimes that foolish act can be followed by a rush of adrenaline and so the next foolish act is intentionally planned. It becomes a game and the fool derives pleasure from deceitful and sinful behavior. The addiction is physical and so foolishness becomes a sport played to provide the thrill.

On the other hand the person of wisdom receives pleasure by their restraint both in the present and the future. The wise person doesn’t have to deal with the negative consequences of foolish behavior. Wise conduct comes from an understanding of the big picture and doesn’t live in the thrill of the moment.

Application

Many of us have encountered the friend or loved one who has become caught in the sport of foolishness. When continued the game leads to destruction.

Saved by the grace of God we are led to a life of wise conduct. Our new life in Christ means that we no longer desire to intentionally sin, which means we do not engage in the sport of being a fool. Foolishness is conduct unbecoming of a Christian and if we are enjoying the highs it provides — we must ask for God’s grace to release us from its grip and set us free! It is possible in the power and the grace of God’s holy spirit live a life of wisdom and understanding.

Prayer

Lord, please release your children from foolish behavior.  Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more