A Fool’s Day to Fuel the Fool in All of Us

What an amazing thing – having a whole day designated for celebrating fools and foolishness! April Fool’s Day, April 1, marks the start of a new month, and brings with it motivation to pull little pranks on each other, all in the name of “April fool!”

 

Some experts historically – or hysterically – trace the origins of April Fool’s Day, also known as All Fools Day, as far back at 1582 in France, upon switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. But others say the “holiday” actually began in 1700, when the tradition of playing practical jokes on one another was birthed in jolly old England.

Regardless of when it formally began, one day a year for a little lighthearted foolery seems fine. In reality, however, foolishness and being a fool are no laughing matter. Judging by what some folks say and do, it seems that for them, “fool’s day” is a year-round preoccupation. 

 

We even have sayings especially devoted to addle-brained people. Essayist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau said, “Any fool can make a rule. And any fool will mind it.” Mark Twain said, “I was young and foolish; now I’m old and foolisher.” Benjamin Franklin observed, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do.” More than two centuries have passed since then, but things seem not to have changed much.

 

We’ve all heard the adage of indefinite origin, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” Humorist Will Rogers offered a somewhat different view: “A fool and his money are soon elected.” That observation, too, seems to have weathered well the passage of time. In fact, thousands of years ago the writer of Proverbs said, “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom” (Proverbs 17:16). 

 

The Scriptures have much to say about the perils of fools and foolishness. In the book of Proverbs alone, we find dozens of warnings and admonitions about lacking wisdom and choosing folly instead. For instance, Proverbs 10:14-15 is straight-forward in contrasting the speech of the wise and the foolish:

“Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment. Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”

 

Proverbs 15:7 makes a similar observation: “The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.” If you’re in need of wise counsel and sound advice, consider the source!

 

Remember the adage, “Look before you leap”? Proverbs 14:8 offers a similar caution: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.” We find the same sentiment in Proverbs 15:21, which declares, “Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.”

 

We’ve probably all encountered people during our lives who would fit the descriptions above. In recognizing the pitfalls of falling under the influence of foolish friends, the image evoked by the following verse is particularly powerful: “Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly” (Proverbs 17:12). Gulp!

 

Dozens of other passages advise us to steer clear of those who seem to revel in their own folly. However, perhaps what matters most is how we can avoid falling into the same trap. Because in our fallen world, foolishness isn’t hard to find. 

 

I’ve cited the following verses before, but they’re worth pondering again. Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Maybe one reason we live in such foolish, nonsensical times is that we’ve drifted away from the fear of the Lord.

 

Another commonly cited verse teaches, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Similarly, Proverbs 2:6 promises, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

So, as another April 1 arrives with its celebration of fools and folly, go ahead – enjoy pulling a harmless prank or two, or allow yourself to play victim to someone else’s trickery. But let the day also serve as a reminder of the dangerous snares of perpetual foolishness. As Proverbs 28:26 warns, “He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.” 

Fear of God – Far from Common

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” This famous phrase had its genesis in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural address in 1933. As FDR uttered these words, several people at the event reportedly muttered, “I was afraid he would say that.”

This whimsically colored version of "The Scream"by
Edvard Munch is how some perceive the fear of God.

Fear is a funny world in the English language, conjuring up many images. For children, fear can mean apprehension the “boogeyman” might suddenly pop out of a closet or from under the bed. Or that mommy or daddy might abandon them at the mall. As we get older, an expanding array of other fears supplant the boogeyman.

It’s a word we attribute to a dog cowering in a corner, tail between its legs, hoping to avoid another blow from its abusive owner. Or employees who arrive at work wary of their tyrannical boss’s unpredictable behavior.

We use a convenient word of Greek and Latin origin – “phobia” – to describe fears, often irrational, of virtually everything, including heights, spiders, snakes, crowds, enclosed places, flying, specific colors, black cats, the number 13, and red-headed people. (Is there a phobia of red-headed woodpeckers?) Politically correctness has led to the creation of new terms, like homophobia and Islamophobia. 

But when you hear the phrase, “fearing God,” what comes to mind? That’s a legitimate question, since numerous verses talk about the fear of the Lord. The book of Proverbs, for instance, gives an admonition, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Similarly, Psalm 111:10 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

For some, to fear God suggests being prepared to duck, hoping to dodge a bolt from Heaven the Lord might choose to throw down if He catches us doing something wrong. Is that what it really means to fear God – anticipating divine zapping when He feels inclined to do so?

Tame that down a notch, and some people regard fearing God as always being at risk of becoming the object of His displeasure and impatience as we repeatedly fail to meet His perfect, righteous, never-changing standards.

However, not long ago I talked with someone who expressed an opposite opinion. He posited there’s no reason to fear God at all, since He’s so loving that He’ll accept whatever we do. This makes Him sound like the parent who never corrects or disciplines her child, or the grandparent who delights in doting on the grandkids, knowing before long they’ll be going home with their parents to deal with the fruit of their spoiling. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Kids do the darnedest things!”

A definition of the “fear of God” favored by many is “reverent awe” or “admiring submission.” This involves understanding that while He is accessible – “Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) – the Lord is, after all, Creator not only of this planet but also the entire universe. That’s not something we should take lightly, with a casual shrug. He made everything and can do whatever He chooses with what He’s made.

The foreboding image of the Lord lurking nearby, poised to yell, “Gotcha! I knew it!” is unfortunate and stands at odds with the concept of grace – God’s unconditional favor we could never merit or earn. We’re told, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Titus 3:5 seconds this motion by declaring, “he saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy.”

Nevertheless, this doesn’t justify an attitude by which we might regard God as “Bro,” or as our good buddy. We “fear” law enforcement officers, not because we suspect they might harm us, but because they have the power to enforce laws if we break them. I remember when I was in school, we also “feared” the teacher, knowing she or he had authority to discipline us or reduce our grades if we misbehaved or violated classroom rules. 

God is Creator of all we see – as well as everything we can’t. It reminds me of the parent who, in a peak of frustration, said, “Son, I brought you into this world – and I can take you out!” 

In most cases, because of His love, grace and mercy, God doesn’t act in a similar way. However, we know He can, and sometimes has done so. Think of those who perished in The Flood except for Noah and his family, or the residents of the sin-riddled cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the Egyptian army as they pursued the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. Ananias and Sapphira, members of the early Church, thought they could get away with misrepresenting their generosity. They greatly underestimated how much God values integrity.

So we worship a God fully capable of doing fearsome things. But If we truly know Him, and have an accurate, honest appraisal of ourselves, He deserves our reverent awe and wholehearted worship, praise and gratitude. As Psalm 34:9-10 tells us, "Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him…those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”