by Linda G. Hull

Created on: October 10, 2009   Last Updated: October 23, 2009

It is heartbreaking when someone you care about charts a course of self-destruction. Foolish choices lead to a cascading descent into a life of misery. Family and friends are left to wonder why. What could have been done to salvage this poor and wretched person? The answer begins with the definition of a fool.

We often think of a fool as someone who is silly like a slapstick comedian, but according to the biblical definition, a fool is someone who has rejected God and His commands. In fact, a fool loves wickedness and hates that which is good and righteous. Fools prefer to choose their own standards, often times going against all they have been taught.

What are the characteristics of a fool?

From the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, we can learn a lot about fools. Fools can be men or women. A foolish person is characterized by a lack of wisdom, evidenced in thought, word, and deed. Fools exhibit excessive pride and arrogance, a false understanding of reality, selfishness, and laziness. They live to please themselves.

The most noticeable characteristic of a fool is their lack of discipline. Financial difficulties plague them. They demonstrate an inability to deny themselves any pleasure, for they live to appease their desires. Fools change jobs frequently, blaming others for their inability to succeed. Their families are left to suffer the consequences of their poor stewardship.

Is a fool born that way or have circumstances created him?

Remember the definition of a fool is one who has rejected God and His ways. This speaks of a person who has been taught the Truth of the Bible, but has rejected it. The Book of Proverbs says a fool mocks sin (14:9). To mock it, you must be able to recognize it. A fool does not want to live God's way. We know this to be true because Proverbs teaches us, "there is a way that seemeth right unto a man..." (16:25a, KJV).

Discernment is a key element in determining if one is ignorant and needing instruction or is in fact a true fool. Certainly someone willing to learn from mistakes is hardly a fool. The desire for righteousness and obedience to God's commands is evidence of wisdom. God has put the knowledge of right and wrong in our heart with a conscience to alert us to unrighteousness.

Our circumstances influence us in many ways. If a child is never taught God's ways, then it is no surprise that ignorance and a life of unrighteousness is the outcome. The Bible teaches us that "even a child is known by his doings, whether his work

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