by Starla Ross

Created on: October 09, 2009   Last Updated: June 17, 2011

It seems society has taken a turn for the worse. Every day, a new story appears about the overcrowding of prison systems, the rising divorce rate, the overuse of narcotic drugs, or the increase in alcoholism. Foolish behavior has set a course, and it appears to be running a marathon.

Foolishness is nothing new. If so, the Bible would not devote so much time to reciting parables of foolish people or instructing Christians about the consequences of foolish actions. Certainly the books of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs would not have been written, as entire chapters are devoted to the lack of wisdom in man. Yes, foolish people and actions have been around since the beginning of time.

There is no denying, however, that foolish behavior seems to have reached an all-time high. Poor decision-making, lack of moral standards, decrease of accountability and responsibility, questionable choices, and an acceptance of activities that once would have been considered taboo - have led to a larger number of folks just overall making bad decisions for their lives.

What exactly is a fool? The Bible describes a fool in many ways. A fool is a self-serving person who has strayed from God's wisdom. Believing he knows best, a fool will make decisions based upon what serves his interests, ignoring God's instruction and wisdom. Sometimes a fool knows he is rebelling against God's principles, but chooses that course for his life regardless. At other times, he's just following what he wants and does not realize until later that his actions go against his faith.

Fools go wrong when they believe they have all the answers and ignore God's rules for living. Proverbs 18:2 (NIV) says, "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions." And Ecclesiastes 10:32 expands on that assumption, stating "Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips."

The Bible gives clear instructions on how Christians should live their lives. In addition to the Ten Commandments and the Fruits of the Spirit, the book of Proverbs could well be considered a life instruction manual. When Christians follow these guidelines for living, their lives tend to be more peaceful and less chaotic. This doesn't mean the lives of Christians are perfect - far from it. It simply means when Christians follow the instructions given by God, they're not complicating their lives with bad decisions and poor choices they have made. There will always be challenges (bills to pay,

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