Have Faith: Don’t be Foolish

By Rev. Monica C. Jones, PhD., Contributing Writer

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.

Proverbs 14:13 (NIV)

         In a time when people like to call on God when it is convenient or affirm God’s greatness when it is expedient, we as consistent, Christian believers must bear witness to what faith is.  It is a blind allegiance to the Lord; it is belief in the impossible; it is the things hoped for that are not yet seen.  It is all of these things.  What it is not, is being foolish.

         When a world leader tells his people not to take seriously something that we already know can kill, it is no different than telling a child it is OK to go into the street without looking – after all, God is our protector.  God wants us to have faith that allows God to bless us as God chooses to – the Lord is not expecting us to abandon the intelligence given us in order to prove our faith.

         If the leader of this country chooses to ignore the facts; take chances with other persons’ lives, demand that experts submit to his personal opinion, then he is not exhibiting faith. He is exhibiting a personal agenda.  Just as we know that second-hand smoke kills and smokers are now restricted to areas where they cannot harm others, wearing protective coverings is to help save the lives of others – even if the mask wearer is not interested their own safety.

         We know that God can and will heal this nation.  We know that there is no virus too big or too bad for him.  We know that every day and every new dawning is a blessing, and we do not need a self-obsessed, Kodak-moment, Bible-toting orator to preach that to us.  

         Always have faith, and never fear.  But while it is true that God did not give us a spirit of fear, God still gave us a sound mind.  Use it, and don’t be foolish.