Hi Ladies,
Yes, there are still more fellows that the Bible urges single ladies to be wary of, and this guy is an important concern. Unlike men who act out and impact their marital partners in a physical way, his issues are more internal. If he is a Believer in Christ, he has accepted His Lordship and may have experienced genuine conversion. His negative personality traits don’t affect his relationship with Jesus because they are irrelevant to salvation. But these characteristics can have major consequences for a wife. The path with this man will not only be rocky, but confusing as well!
THE FOOL
Who wants a fool? No one, not even God! A significant number of the scriptures in the Book of Proverbs caution against involvement with the fool, in contrast with his opposite, the man of wisdom. So how do we define a foolish man, and how can you determine if this personality flaw is present in a guy you may be developing caring feelings for?
Dictionary.com defines the “Fool” as “A person with little or no judgment, common sense, or wisdom.” But this is actually a subjective decision, and is specific to what each woman expects in her man. Your own evaluation of him is the most important…do you consider him to be a fool? Then for you, he is! But there are telltale indicators as well.
A prime example is the story of Nabal, the ignorant and belligerent husband of Abigail in I Samuel 25. His name meant “Fool”, and his actions confirmed it. His hostility and mistreatment of soon-to-be King David nearly led to the destruction of his entire household. Only Abigail’s timely intervention saved them all, ultimately leading to her becoming David’s wife and a Queen of Israel.
Any man who, like Nabal, knowingly brings hurt, harm or danger to himself or to his household is a fool, but there are other less blatant criteria. Consider, for example, how he handles his money.
The typical foolish man is abysmal at managing it. He’s the young guy who spends his pay on the latest computer games while sponging off his parents for room and board. He’s the dropout who dismisses the idea of returning to school because he has no vision for the future. He’s the fellow with zero ambition who is contemptuous of others who pursue goals, or who make an effort to fulfill their God-given potential. Proverbs 1: 7 says, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
The fool cannot be trusted to fulfill his word, or to meet his obligations. He is often rebellious, disrespectful or deceitful. He may be a reveler, squandering time and money with acquaintances, like Nabal the party-giver. According to 1 Samuel 25: 36, after the near fiasco with David, “Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk…”
And yes, this man can be a Believer, although the fool cannot be a good Christian, just as he is poor husband material. His walk with Christ will be superficial, and after his initial encounter with Jesus as Savior, the matter screeches to a halt. A fool will seldom devote time and energy to study and deepen his relationship with The LORD. It seems like too much effort, and as Proverbs 1: 22 notes, “Fools hate knowledge.”
On the other hand, he may develop tunnel vision, veering off into strange obsessions or compulsions. He is often a bigot, intolerant of racial or ethnic differences, possessing none of Christ’s compassion. He may be quarrelsome or impulsive, a prey of con men and get-rich-quick schemes. And instead of learning from his errors, he will return to them repeatedly, since Proverbs 26: 11 explains, “As a dog return to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”
His follies – to be continued… Until next week, Joy and Shalom!
jo lynne pool - Love in The Book.org 