Who Will Call You a Fool?

Can I just say that it is such a privilege to sit under the teaching of God’s Word? I love it. Love it love it love it love it.  Especially as one who teaches, I just find it such a huge honor to get to sit under someone else, knowing the sweat and toil and pain (and personal conviction!) that one goes through in preparing a message.  I feel spoiled rotten getting to just sit and receive. Especially when it is the authoritative Word of God that’s preached. Amen!

Anyway, I got to do that twice this week and I am most grateful.  Tuesday we studied James 3, and Joy taught about Earthly Wisdom vs. Heavenly Wisdom. It has stuck with me all week. I wasn’t sure exactly how to articulate it, or even quite what it was that God was teaching me, but it’s starting to become clearer now.

Then tonight, I got to sit under Joel’s teaching of Luke 12:13-21, the story of the rich fool. That, coupled with what I’d been stewing on all week, was enough to reduce me to a heap of glorious thankful convicted worshipping, in-awe-of-Jesus tears right there in the service. God’s Word is so good!

So here’s the gist of it:  James 3:13-18 shows that earthly wisdom is characterized by jealousy and selfish ambition—and is described as earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. In other words, earthly wisdom seeks to promote self, above God and above others. Heavenly wisdom, on the other hand, is “first pure, then peacable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” In other words, the wisdom from God has a right motive, it promotes peace, it is gentle and willing to yield if it is confronted with God’s truth, is merciful with others and bears good fruit, and is impartial to others and authentic. It is wholly concerned with the glory of God and the good of others.

So all week long I have been asking God for heavenly wisdom.  As we’ve been seeking Him with regards to Filling in My Blank: giving, finances, standard of living, selling our house, a heart for the world and for people, I’ve been SO incredibly challenged by how much the world’s wisdom and mind-set can still rule my thinking. Much financial scheming (and hoarding!) can be labeled “wisdom”, and yet what kind of wisdom is the key here.  Both are labeled wisdom, but heavenly wisdom is something entirely different from the world. It is as upside-down as God’s Kingdom–where the first shall be last.  In this case, then, it could be that heavenly wisdom could quite possibly appear foolish to the world. Do you follow?  For the rich young ruler to sell all that he has and give to the poor so that he may have treasure in heaven would appear very financial un-wise to the world. To God, that’s the smartest investment he could possibly make.  Do you see what I’m saying?

So all week long I’ve battled, because I feel like this new distinction between earthly and heavenly wisdom has made me question everything that I’ve always held as “wisdom.”  For example, I’ve always held that it is wise for us to spend as much as possible on a house because of the tax laws that benefit clergy.  Basically spending a lot on a house reduces our taxable income so we pay much less to the government. And yes, that is wise. But, wouldn’t it be even wiser just to give it all away to further God’s kingdom?! That would reduce taxable income as well! 🙂  So you see what I mean?  I’m not saying one is right and one is wrong, I’m just saying that perhaps God’s heavenly wisdom looks different, perhaps way different, than even the wisest of earth’s financial advice.  I’m still a Dave Ramsey enthusiast, but perhaps God’s financial advice would even be quirkier than Dave’s.

So suffice it to say I really struggled all week. Everything I’d held as “wise” was now under the scrutiny of… well, of God’s Word.  And that’s good, I suppose, but it was a rather unsettling feeling. On top of all that were the challenging points Joy brought up about motive, our hearts, etc.  I look in my  heart and I find that it still has plenty of wickedness. I still want to look spiritual, I still want praise, I still want people to think I’m neat, I still want the approval of people. It still makes me crawl up in a ball when someone criticizes our decision.  Ugh. Lord, change my heart and make me only concerned with what You think!

And tonight He did. At least for a beautiful hour and a half (can’t promise what tomorrow will hold!), He did. As Joel preached a powerful message about the Rich Fool from Luke 12, it was as if God opened my heart’s eyes to the amazing splendor of Himself, and all of a sudden it didn’t matter one iota how ugly those inexpensive houses were. God is beautiful enough to make up for any lack my home might have. Besides, He adorns the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4), He can certainly adorn whatever humble house I have into a sanctuary of grace and beauty. Isn’t that what He does with our lives?!

And here’s the thing Joel said that about made me about fall out of my chair, in light of my week’s prayers and meditation.  He talked about how the rich fool had acquired great great wealth for himself, so much that he needed to tear down his barns and build bigger barns.  Now, get this: The world (and most Christians) would say, “There’s a wise guy. That‘s the guy I should ask for financial wisdom from. He obviously is making all the wise decisions because God has blessed him so much.”  We would praise such a man, call him a genius financial advisor.  But you know what God calls Him?  A fool. (v. 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool!)

Fool.

Friends, that single word brings tears to my eyes. I plead with you to hear my heart in this.  God called him a fool. Why? Because he “laid up treasures for himself and was not rich toward God.” A fool.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. (Jim Elliott)

Worldly wisdom and earthly wisdom.  Let me put it this way:

You and I are going to be called a fool by someone.

We can live by God’s economy, give more than we make, refuse the empty promises of materialism and wealth, and store up treasures in heaven. If we do this: The world will call us fools.

Or, we can save, hoard, aim for bigger and better, pad ourselves with insulated walls of wealth. The world will praise us for our financial savvy, the world will call us wise. But, someday God will call us  fools.

Who, dear friends, will call you a fool?

I am shaken and challenged to the core.  I’ll tell you straight up I do not like the unsettling feeling of re-thinking every piece of wisdom I’ve held so dear. All week long it has troubled me.   But, I’m thankful.  I’m thankful beyond words for God’s true Word that does not change. I’m thankful to have the privilege of sitting under two phenomenal teachers this week and receiving God’s Word with meekness.  Though I don’t know where this is leading, I know one thing for sure: I do not want God to call me a fool.

Let’s desperately seek His ways and His wisdom. Father, lead us in your truth. We trust in You. Amen.