Fools for Christ

This weekend will mark the beginning of the month of April and kids – and kids at heart – everywhere will enjoy some laughs as pranks and jokes commemorate April Fool’s Day. Though the origins of the holiday are unknown, it has become a world-wide phenomenon that even large corporations participate in.

While we hope you are able to pull off the perfect prank and avoid getting tricked yourself, we want to go into this month thinking about being a different kind of fool. Did you know that the Bible encourages some kinds of foolishness? In 1 Corinthians 4:9-10, Paul writes, “For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.” Sounds a little strange at first, right?

When Paul says that he and other apostles are fools for Christ, he isn’t talking about telling jokes and pulling pranks. Instead, he means that he acts in a way that seems strange or foolish to the rest of society, those who do not know Christ. Paul gave up worldly possessions – money, power, safety – to live his life for God and to encourage others to do the same.

Oftentimes, we find ourselves trying to blend in with the crowd rather than stand out. But we are called to be different. Are you willing to be labeled a “fool” for standing up for your beliefs? Are your convictions and your love for Christ so strong that you will not waver, no matter what the rest of the world thinks? If we’re honest, there are times when all of us have just gone with the crowd rather than what we know is right to avoid seeming foolish. Let’s challenge ourselves this month to not hold back, even if we get labeled April fools. Luke 9:24 says that “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” In other words, nothing should be worth more to us than Jesus, even our reputations. Though it may seem foolish or strange to those around us, living life for Christ is what will really matter in the end.

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