Could You Be the April Fool?

fool

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.” – Psalm 14:1

Those of us who are unashamed followers of Jesus may be quick to exempt ourselves from that verse. Don’t be so quick to exonerate yourself.  At some level, we are all unbelievers.

Notice that David observed that a fool says in his heart that God does not exist. The fool is not merely the one who dare proclaims with his tongue an arrogant disbelief in the existence of God. It is equally foolish – no, even more foolish – to allow our hearts to misbelieve the promises of God about who He is and what He has done for us in Christ.

In the Biblical sense, the heart is “command central” of our lives. The heart represents our thoughts, affections, desires, emotions, and will. Our heart DETERMINES our behavior.

To “say in our heart” there is no God goes beyond the “macro-belief” in the existence of God. Rather, it  involves the “micro-belief” of our trust Him, His word, and His work for the daily situations of our lives. We say there is no God when we live even one moment in misbelief of God and His plan of redemption and restoration.

While we may never be so brash as to verbalize a disbelief in God’s existence, we all too often loudly proclaim our disbelief when we apply human answers to the problems of everyday life.

What A Fool Looks Like

Several actions constitute such a non-verbal proclamation:

  • We may blatantly disobey something God has clearly told us to do or not do.
  • We may selfishly desire something God doesn’t want us to have.
  • We may plan and plot without considering God’s wishes and His plans.
  • We may harbor ill feelings toward others and refuse to offer the same grace to them we have received from God.
  • We may seek our own fulfillment and self-gratification rather than finding our pleasure in Him.

Be sure today that your heart is not playing an April Fool’s Joke on you. Examine your heart – your actions, affections, attitudes and see if your heart is disbelieving God.

What Does Your “Big Picture” Look Like?

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Successful organizations and teams master the art of keeping the big picture in view.  What about you, as an individual, do you have a big picture for your life?

Without a sense of purpose, our lives are a series of loosely connected daily events and circumstances.  Without a big picture for our lives, we become a slave to the immediate or urgent.  The big picture helps us avoid decisions that drain our energy and waste our time, and make sound decisions based on purpose rather than immediacy.   God created each of us with a purpose in mind (Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 139:16), and we would do well to live our lives ON PURPOSE as well.

Today, I encourage you to work prayerfully on your GPA.  Take some time to think about the following areas, search Scripture, ask God for insight and wisdom.

GOALS.  Over the next few months, how do you desire to please God spiritually, in your family, on your job, with your health, and other areas God may point out to you?  What is the BIG PICTURE for your life?

PRIORITIES.  Given the goals you have set, what facets of your life need the most attention?  Where do you need to focus your attention and energy?  Does the way you invest your attention, time, and resources reflect the goals you have set?  Do you need to re-appropriate values in your life?

ACTIONS.  How are you going to align your daily activities to reflect God’s priorities for you?  What changes will you make to get control of your life so that you can offer it back to God as a gift of worship?

Once you’ve spent some time pondering, write a purpose statement for your life.  Share it with some people who will help you be accountable to what God has shown you, and begin setting priorities and making decisions that accomplish the BIG PICTURE.

Comments are open.  Thoughts?  Ideas?