As April Fools’ Day was nearing I heard the Lord ask me a question, “Whose fool are you?” I found it to be an intriguing question. I wasn’t sure what the Lord was stirring in my heart, but I took some time to consider His Question and to begin to inquire of Him these things, and this is what unfolded:
I went online to google April Fools’ Day. There were lots of links - I clicked on the first one. One of the explanations of the history of April Fools’ Day stated:
“Another explanation of the origins of April Fools' Day was provided by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine, when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual event." Article Reference Link
Although the article stated this was a false historical explanation, it was interesting and applicable to what the Lord was stirring in my heart: “a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day..” It made me realize that I too think (too often) that I could do a better job than others …. Then the Lord added, “or even better than Me.” As He illuminated this thought, I thought, “no way, Lord. I know I can never do a better job than You.” I heard Him smile at me, which caused me to reflect and examine my heart a little more resulting in my awareness that He was right.
I had to confess and ask for His forgiveness for all of the times that I have doubted Him during trials and during times that were confusing to me regarding His allowing certain life events and hardships to unfold….that I would certainly make different choices than the Lord and different choices than what He would allow to happen to me or happen to others, in my thinking that my ways would certainly be better than His.
I had to chuckle at myself as the Lord illuminated all of this and as He revealed even more about how I can get distracted by what’s unfolding in our country, our culture, our media; distracted by my and many people’s propensity to spend time in front of our computer, TV, IPad, and phone screens as we try to make sense of how to fix the problems of our culture, even trying to fix everything we deem as wrong in our daily lives. The impact of what He was showing me was daunting when I saw once again how I can get so derailed; how my heart, time, and energy gets off track from the path of my Father’s Kingdom business. I realized that these distractions can guide me down paths which are dead-ends or paths which take me away from His passion for my life and from His passion for others who are in my life, and from the Father’s will for my life to be at the Father’s business on earth instead of at the world’s business on earth.
Then I heard the words, “Fools for Christ’s sake.” These words are stated in 1 Corinthians 10, so I went to the Scriptures and read the passage from vs. 8-13 (I post this passage at the end of this article if you want to refer to it). Although Paul is correcting the Corinthians, I was so touched when I was reminded by the dramatic description of what it is to be a fool for Christ and at our Father’s business on earth. Paul describes a bit of what it is to be a follower of Christ in this passage: men/women condemned to death because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men; that we look to the world as weak when we obey Christ and are obedient to how He calls us to live, such as to love those who persecute us, to love our enemies, to not pursue after the worldly acceptable pursuits of wealth, power, fame, glory, or even the cultural norms like the American Dream of the Pursuit of Happiness.
And then I was flooded with all of the numerous Scriptures and truths that proclaim that God’s ways are so very contrary to the world’s ways. I began to weep knowing and finding Peace in His presence and Truths as His Presence and Truths filled and consumed my heart. That although life on earth as a follower of Jesus can look to the world as foolish, it is so fully satisfying in the fullness of His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. I was reminded that as we abide in Him His Joy is truly in us and that our joy is made full causing us to exude His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness to others (John 15, Galatians 5).
Whose fool do I want to be – mine, someone else’s, the world’s, or Jesus’? I want to be Jesus’ fool, a radical follower of Jesus and a fool for Christ’s sake. Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief - I pray for You to help me to relentlessly submit to your Holy Spirit’s prompting and convictions when I get derailed and when I begin to believe I should follow something or someone else other than You. Lord, help me to be only at our Father’s business each day, to walk by Your Precious Spirit and in the Spirit’s fruit of Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, and Faithfulness as Your ambassador on earth. Lord may my aroma be of Christ’s sweet aroma, not of my stench and stink, I pray, Amen.
As I leave you now, I'd like to ask if you would consider His question too, “Whose fool are you?" I believe if you spend some time with Him regarding His question, you will be blessed in some way as I was. If you would like to share your experience, I would like to hear. You can respond below. I am praying for you to have fun with Him and to have His blessing as you and He talk and pray together about His question.
With love in Christ,
Lo
Scripture Passage 1 Corinthians 10:8-13
"You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”