Day 9: Fool for Free

The image of a court jester/fool came into my mind as I was reading Proverbs 9.6:

"Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding."

Back in medieval times, there was a job that a person could have whose whole intention was to be a fool--to make people laugh and be entertained. And the thing you could say about a jester is that at least he was paid to be a fool. As I read verse 6 of this chapter, I thought to myself how many of us serve as fools for free? How many of us engage in the same nonsense over and over again that seems to make others happy but lead to nothing but our frustration and discouragement. How many of us spend the majority of our day swimming in the part of the cup that is half empty and forgetting about the part that is half full? How many of us make a conscious decision daily to put life on hold because of foolishness? We walk through life being tricked and deceived by the enemy and his imps into believing that we are less than what God says we are. We have labeled ourselves "fool" in the Spirit instead of embracing how "fearfully and wonderfully" He made us (according to Psalm 139.14).

The proverb puts foolishness in direct contradiction to life. It says "forsake foolishness and live" almost as if it could be implied that to embrace foolishness equates to death. In Christ, we have the power to LIVE and not die. We have the power to swim in the optimistic, hopeful side of life and not in the depths of despair we create for ourselves through foolishness. Be it through the relationships you keep (because at least you know their mess) or the jobs that you trudge through (because at least it pays the bills even if it tears me down spiritually and emotionally) or the habits you maintain (because at least it makes you happy for a moment though it depresses you in the long run), you may have been holding onto foolishness and death. Today is the time to make the decision for understanding and life. Take inventory of your relationships, jobs, habits and the like and start signing some eviction papers to those things that have taken up residence that only bring you down. Don't be a fool.

Be encouraged to choose life.

Blessings,
MinD