Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let those who boast boast in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
April Fools’ Day has been around for centuries. One of the first references to April Fools’ Day came in a 1539 Flemish poem about a man who sends his servant on a number of different wild goose chases. As soon as the servant realizes what his master has been doing, the servant regards himself a fool.
No one likes to be regarded as a fool. When I hear the word “fool” I think of a court jester or someone who makes increasingly bad choices. When I call someone a “fool” it’s usually because I do not want to use a harsher word like “stupid” or “moron.” I have no desire to think myself a fool or to live my life in a foolish manner. Once again, though, my desire for my life is different from God’s desire for my life.
We’re told that God chooses to use the foolish, the weak and the lowly because the foolish, the weak and the lowly bring more glory to God. An army of 300 defeating overwhelming odds glorifies God more than an army of 25,000. Uneducated fishermen glorify God more than educated teachers of the law. A crucified carpenter glorifies God more than a conquering king. If we want to glorify God to the best of our ability then we need to be regarded as fools in the eyes of the world.
It’s foolish to think that God uses broken, weak and flawed people to fulfill his purposes, yet he does. We’re just asked to acknowledge our foolishness and brokenness, and then trust in God’s wisdom and righteousness.
How can you acknowledge your foolishness and trust God this April 1st?
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