Real Help

Each year, people around the world celebrate April Fool’s Day, a day for pranks and practical jokes. No one wants to be made the fool, so everyone is on their toes and on the lookout for any pranksters! But did you know, the Bible has a lot to say about a fool? And it’s more than falling victim to practical jokes.

No one wants to be called a fool! Yet, there are many behaviours considered foolish that we can easily fall into if we do not guard our hearts and keep ourselves under correction. Foolishness will keep you from THE BLESSING and from enjoying the fruit of wisdom and prosperity.

The Word of God clearly defines the characteristics of a fool. In fact, there is a list of scriptures that covers the subject quite well. Among them are 13, which we’ll call “The Fool’s Dozen.”

As you read them from the King James Version, let the Holy Spirit search your heart. If you see ways in which you’ve been a fool, repent and make a firm decision not to be caught in that trap again. Put foolishness behind you once and for all, and prepare yourself for prosperity.

1. A fool despises wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7).

   Are you correctable? By God and His Word? By your pastor? By a wise friend? If not, you are operating in foolishness. One who desires to grow and even invites correction is wise and will prosper. Keep pride and foolishness out of your life and accept the wisdom and instruction of others.

2. A fool is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15).

   You can avoid this kind of foolishness by constantly comparing your opinion to the Word of God. When they differ, always go with what the Word says—no matter how right your own opinion may seem to be at the time. If you do that, it will be impossible for the devil to deceive you for long in any area of your life.

3. A fool makes a mockery of sin (Proverbs 14:9).

   Here the Lord is referring to the kind of person who thinks, for instance, that it won’t hurt him to watch R-rated movies. “That stuff doesn’t really bother me all that much,” he says. Another example is the believer who gossips “just a little.”

   Sin in any measure will eventually bring ruin. If you sow sin, you will reap destruction. There’s just no way around that. “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). It doesn’t say the wages of sin are sometimes death. No, the wages of sin are always death.

4. A fool hides hatred with lying and utters slander (Proverbs 10:18).

   Don’t go around bad-mouthing everybody from the pastor to the president. That’s the mark of a fool. One cannot harbour a critical spirit and prosper in God.

5. A fool does mischief for sport (Proverbs 10:23).

   This is the person who tears up something just for fun, causes trouble in the neighbourhood to see a reaction, or picks a fight with someone out of boredom. That’s foolishness!

6. A fool has a perverted mouth (Proverbs 19:1).

   Having a perverted mouth means more than lying and using profanity. It means having a disobedient mouth. It means saying things that are out of line with the Word of God.

   Having a perverted mouth also includes the ridiculous habit some people have of reversing the truth. If you took their words literally, you’d be going exactly backward all the time. They see a small dog and they call it a big dog. If there’s a big storm they call it a little storm. Spiritually, that’s foolish.

   The world of the spirit doesn’t operate on what you mean, it operates on what you say.

   The Word of God also says the mouth of a fool is totally full of foolishness. That refers to people who are always jesting. You can’t get a straight answer out of them. What they’re actually doing is trying to sell themselves socially by saying cute things all the time. But you don’t need to do that. You have the Spirit of God, faith and a godly personality to endear you to people. That’s all you need.

7. A fool trusts in his own understanding (Proverbs 28:26).

   The Word of God tells us to lean not on our own understanding, but to trust in the Lord with all of our heart. When we do that, God will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

   God promises you wisdom and understanding when you follow HIm. Kenneth explains more in this BVOV broadcast.

1. A fool utters all his mind (Proverbs 29:11).

   This is the guy who gets upset about something and decides he has to let everybody know about it. “I’ll just give them a piece of my mind,” he’ll say. Don’t do that. Nobody wants a piece of your mind. If you give it to them, you’ll only end up alienating people.

   Learn to keep quiet.

2. A fool walks in darkness (Ecclesiastes 2:14).

   The Bible tells us in 1 John 2:9-11 that when we’re not walking in love, we’re walking in darkness. So, if you have anything against anyone, get that settled. Go before God and forgive the person before that broken relationship makes a fool out of you.

3. A fool does not pay his vows (Ecclesiastes 5:4).

   You cannot imagine how many people have made faith promises and pledges to this ministry and then failed to follow through. Don’t do that! If you’ve already made some vows and some pledges you aren’t able to fulfil, go to God and ask His forgiveness. Then, go to the person or ministry that you made that pledge to and get things straightened out with them. And don’t make any more vows without the direction of the Holy Spirit.

4. A fool is swallowed up by his own lips (Ecclesiastes 10:12).

   Read what Jesus said in Mark 11:23.

   Enough said.

5. A fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

   Most believers would try to excuse themselves from this one really quickly. Maybe with their mouths they’ve never said it, but they’ve said it with their actions. How? By sinning just a little here and there and thinking it won’t matter. They’ll go to an immoral movie or have a gossip session about the pastor, ignoring God’s command to the contrary.

   With their actions they’re saying, “There is no God.” Whether you realise it or not, the more you act that way the more corrupt you will become.

   Satan doesn’t care whether you publicly proclaim to be an atheist or whether you deny God by your actions. You’ll make a fool of yourself either way.

6. A fool is slow to believe in his heart (Luke 24:25).

   Religious people are especially bad about this one. You can show them something—straight out of the Word of God—and they’ll just shake their heads because it disagrees with their traditions. Don’t make that mistake.

   Be quick to believe anything you see in the Word of God. By clinging to your unbelief you will miss out on healing, prosperity, peace of mind and hundreds of other blessings God has for you. And that’s foolishness in anybody’s book!

Now that you’ve seen the Bible definition of a fool—work to overcome any areas where you may have missed it. And be mindful of these scriptures in the future. Then, God will make your way straight and prosperous, and you’ll be free to enjoy the fruits of wisdom!