When I was in high school, I gave my life to Jesus, which was not a casual decision.
I was raised in a religious family, but I was downright miserable. On the outside, I looked like I had it together – I was a straight-A student, great athlete, model child – and yet I had no idea what I was doing on earth.
I owned no working compass. The world I lived in could not answer my most important questions. I wanted to know I was loved and that I mattered, and that being here was making some sort of positive difference.
I actively tried to please the right people, but I was repaid in the wrong ways. I could honestly define my soul as bankrupt. I was pouring out every ounce of energy I had but received nothing of lasting value in return.
Therefore, in April 1975, when I first heard the gospel, I was so ready to surrender my hungry heart to the One who promised to feed me with the supernatural, satisfying bread of life.
I became an extreme Christian. There was nothing halfway about my conversion. I went diving into the deep end of faith headfirst, and everyone who knew me in high school would also know that wherever I went, Jesus followed.
I finally had nothing to prove, so I lived life with nothing to hide and nothing about my Lord to be embarrassed about.
My psychology teacher called me an outright fool for being a Christian. He had no problem singling me out amongst his students as someone who kissed his brain “goodbye” to believe the way I did.
I acted like following the Bible was a viable way to live my life. I believed every word to be true, and he mocked me as someone who checked his brain at the door. I was so committed to Jesus that many adults in my life suggested that I should be committed to an institution, but I never hesitated in the way I should go because if Jesus went the distance to save me, there would be nothing I would not do to serve Him.
I am currently in my 39th year of being a full-time minister. If you ask me to share with you the secret of my success and longevity, it would be to have enough wisdom to never stand in the way of allowing God to do His work and will in and through me.
I know that the best candidates to be used in the Body of Christ are those who admit that on their own they are weak, foolish and childlike. I love what Jesus said when He declared, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25).
God will de-arm us of props and gimmicks we lean on so He can re-arm us with His presence’s power. I may not be much on my own, but in the Savior’s hands, this fool becomes a chosen tool to take on hell’s gates.
In the world’s eyes, the church may be nothing more than a mismatched collection of misfits with wounded hearts, but in God’s plan, we are His most cherished people. He redeems and restores what society would be happy to just kick to the curb.
The enemy crafts lies like a spider spins silk webs. Human pride is always based upon the charade of illusion. It is all tricks with no treats.
God loves us so much that He must expose the kingdom of humanity, which has no more depth than a Hollywood movie set. The Lord must puncture mankind’s pride, which He does by using the obscure, nobodies and has-beens to quiet the noise and hot air of people who are too full of their press clippings.
God’s wisdom is recognizing the truth that even if you are labeled a loser or long shot in the world’s eyes, we can become the masterpieces our Father intended us to be through Jesus.
Scripture intends to teach us to walk a different way, but to walk this way of the Spirit, we must walk the Spirit’s power. When we choose to live by a different power, Jesus in us will cause us to view reality from a higher perspective. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:30–31).
In Corinth, the apostle, Paul, was nicknamed, “The Babbler.” One of the smartest and most spirit-filled men in the first century was reduced to being nothing more than a noisemaker by one of the church’s he pastored. To be a Christian, obedient to God’s call, and genuinely wise in Corinth, Paul became a fool in the crowd’s eyes so he could shine for Jesus.
Are we willing to be fools for Jesus? Are we willing to be shamed for His name?
We are not self-pitying, defensive or miserable “oh-poor-me” fools; we are unashamed, happy, hope-filled fools for Christ. It is time for believers to be wise, look up, even if we go down in the opinion of others, we go up in the eyes of God and His eyes got it.
Jesus came to teach us how to exemplify God’s righteousness, holiness and redemption through our lives, so the mark of someone who is growing in Christ is that he or she is exhibiting more of this godly kind of wisdom.
Jesus’ actions become the way we act in every circumstance. He never did anything that did not have His Father’s stamp of approval. We should never undertake even the smallest act without being fully yielded to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus alerted us that apart from Him, we could do nothing. If we want to be about something eternal, we must let the Spirit lead. It’s not about us putting God’s name on stuff; it’s about God putting His name on our soul.
We also see evidence of our Lord’s influence in us not trying to mimic the world, but being committed to God making us more like Jesus. Being sanctified doesn’t mean being holier than thou. It means not looking to the crowd to get our script.
Our heavenly director wants us to become servants who showcase love and truth. Jesus loved us enough to tell us the truth, but He only shared the truth with those He already loved.
Don’t tell anyone that Jesus loves them until you are ready to love them, too. Society uses people for their its own satisfaction. Jesus uses us for our sanctification.
We become more loving, truthful, patient, understanding, insightful, bold and courageous with every move. We are just like Jesus, who typified all these qualities.
To submit to the world’s wisdom is to allow ourselves to be redeemed and restored to our original God-created glory. Human life is like a piece of valuable property that has been locked at the pawnshop. While it is in the pawnshop, a diamond ring is devalued. It is not fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. It sits in a display case gathering dust, which is what the enemy wants to do to us.
He wants to die lonely and destitute in the back display case. Jesus has paid the price of our redemption. He walked into that pawnshop and overpaid for every one of us. He made it clear to hell that it could not have what belonged to Him.
If that is considered nonsense by our crazy world, so be it. I want as much of that as God will allow me to experience.
God does not expect us to be perfect, as we are in a process of becoming more Christ-like. The world uses people then throws them away. God, in His love and wisdom, continues refashioning us for His use.
When we fail, He gives us another chance. He never throws us away. We cannot do life on our own. We are God’s fools, tools and instruments to demolish the world’s false wisdom and demonstrate His grace. I want it spread everywhere. Only fools need to apply.
ED. NOTE: The author is the senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church, 1248 Route 9 South, Court House.
