Blog

Who is the Fool?

Published 3/17/24

This morning, our church concluded it annual missions conference.  We were privileged to hear from three couples serving the Lord in remote, primitive, jungle, and tribal fields.

I was personally challenged to remember the Biblical truth from Matthew 10:39: “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

As a teen, my life’s trajectory was altered by a mission trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua as well as reading “Through Gates of Splendor” about the lives of 5 young men that God sent to the tribal group of the Acaus who murdered them.  Jim Elliott, one of the five young men, had written this in his journal,

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

A dynamic personality with great athleticism,  Jim had to face great peer pressure and public opposition to following God’s leading.   He was called a fool for turning his back on the amazing future that awaited him,  but he clearly understood the greater truth – God’s truth. 

What are we pursuing and living for?  Seriously,  what is the point of our lives?

Family?  Money?  Time?  Hopes and dreams?  Our “best life”?   Comfort?   What are our non-negotiable?  What are we not willing to give to Christ? 

One day,  death will come for each of us and all of the things that we ”possess” and have spent a lifetime pursuing will be lost to us and belong to others. 

How much better it is to surrender all of it to God now to gain eternal reward – eternal – this life will be lost – eternity will not.   Laying up treasures for that life is a greater investment. 

During the service, we sang “For the Sake of His Name”.    I love these two key phrases from the chorus, 

“For Jesus’ glory, count all else but loss.”

“Lest life be wasted, exalt Jesus’ cross.”

Will our lives be wasted?  Are we simply striving to survive day to day?  Are we just existing?

For His glory,  let’s get priorities in order and live lives of purpose – His purpose.