Rocky Road Devotions: Acting Foolishly

“Foolishly” is an adverb that describes the actions of a fool. Nobody wants to be called or thought-of as a fool. However, the libraries of the universe are filled with stories of the foolish ways chosen by mankind. Essentially the word describes a person’s action when good sense, wisdom, or judgment has been laid aside in favor of one or more of the “seven deadly sins”.

We use kind words these days to avoid being offensive. We call foolish deeds “unfortunate choices”. Whatever you choose to call them, the outcome of those foolish decisions is to dishonor God’s trust as King Saul did ^{(1 Samuel 13)}. The priest/prophet, Samuel, was late arriving at the battlefield to offer a sacrifice on Israel’s behalf. The army was getting restless; some were even deserting. So, the king, thinking to protect God’s honor, did what was not his place – he did the priest’s job, and God was not pleased. The cost was God’s judgment; King Saul would be fired, and David would ascend the throne.

Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” 1 Samuel 13:13-14

Who would do such a thing? Dishonor God by taking charge? Well, I would, and I have; now don’t you give me that look…you would, and you have also!

For me, it was years ago when I was young and quite inexperienced as a pastor. The church I was serving was somewhat stuck (I thought), languishing in complacency. They needed (I believed) a stirring, convicting, revival-starting sermon. So, I cooked one up and served it, steaming-hot. Near the end of that sermon the heat of my emotions got the better of the preacher, and, to emphasize a point of how our outreach to the community was more important than all the buildings and stuff in them, I did a 1980’s version of a mic-drop…to the floor. The squelching feedback could be heard by goats and cattle three counties away. It blistered my own eardrums! I had made my point, but two deacons in the crowd decided I’d gone too far and walked out of the service.

My (so-called) unfortunate choice (more commonly known as foolishness) was perhaps the worst moment of my entire ministry. That smallish country church was hardly a kingdom like Saul’s Israel, but my God-dishonoring mistreatment of a piece of God’s property may have illustrated just how much being in-charge was more important to me than being in God’s will.

Until I get to discuss that moment face-to-face with Jesus in Heaven, I will not know the extent of damage I caused that day with my foolish choice. Perhaps the list of spiritual casualties my sinful moment caused was what led to serving troubled, angry, unstable, on-life-support churches for nearly the rest of my time as a pastor. Like King Saul, the choice I made also determined the judgment that came my way. Even at this point, more than forty years later, I sense in my heart during those quiet middle of the night moments, lying awake remembering (as the elderly do) that I crossed a line that day. I’ve confessed my sin, and am forgiven based upon God’s character and promise, but the nail of sin, withdrawn from the post of my life’s record, still leaves a hole of regret!

For You Today

The postscript to that regret for me (and possibly you) is that God did use King Saul to test David’s commitment and launch him to the throne. Perhaps the church I left behind also benefitted by God’s use of my “unfortunate choice”! It will not surprise me if it did; what, after all, is impossible with God?[1]

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!