HOW TO SPOT A FOOL – PART TWO
In our last article we dealt with the stark fact that, although most of us do foolish things, there are people who are, by their own nature fools themselves. Those who are fools often cause great damage to those who associate with them and to society as a whole.
Does God love them? Certainly. How much does God love them? As much as He does you and me, but He abhors their attitude and actions, so much that He informs us in the Holy Scriptures concerning who they are, what they do and how believers are to act toward them.
Because that is so important, I am providing information below which will give insights from God’s Word on how to identify a fool and how we are to act or react to them and their behavior.
Think about these truths when you are considering a new friendship, a possible romantic courtship, a business venture or, a possible position of authority and especially, who you vote for as a political candidate.
Here we go:
1. A fool does not believe in the God of the Bible.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
Psalm 53:11; 14:1, Proverbs 1:7
2. A fool finds no harm in sin.
“Fools mock at sin…”
Proverbs 14:9; 10:23, Isaiah 32:6
3. A fool hates the truth.
“And fools hate knowledge.”
Proverbs 1:22; 18:2-3; 12:15; 26:6-7
4. A fool loves to argue.
“If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs and there is no quiet.”
Proverbs 29:9; 18:2-7; 10:14-19; 12:15
5. A fool speaks with lying lips and hates to listen.
“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord…the heart of fools proclaim foolishness.”
Proverbs 12:22-23; 10:18-19; 18:6-7
6. A fool believes everything he reads.
“The naïve believes everything…a wise man is cautious and turns away evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.”
Proverbs 14:15-16
7. A fool is quick to anger and cause problems.
“Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.”
Proverbs 29:11; 10:18:13; 18:2-3
8. A fool is always right in their own mind and will not receive instruction.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…”
Proverbs 12:15; 15:5; 15:14; 18:2
9. A fool will always return to his foolish ways.
“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”
Proverbs 26:11
10. A fool’s heart is always thinking of ungodliness.
“For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.”
Isaiah 32:6, Proverbs 10:23
The Bible is clear in its warnings about friendships and trusting in fools. They have no capacity for wisdom and understanding but rather despise both. They have wickedness and sin in the hearts and only want to pull others into their ungodly snares.
When the child of God learns to recognize and avoid friendship with a fool they are blessed by God for their wisdom and protected from evil.
By the way, think on this Scripture found in Ecclesiastes 10:2…
“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.”