Walking with the Wise #479: Stay Away!

“Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.”
—Proverbs 26:4

Being a Christian means bearing the responsibility of helping the less fortunate. We are to go through suffering (Acts 14:22), fight for justice (Micah 6:8; Isaiah 58:6-12), and help the poor, downcast, and disenfranchised (James 1:27; Matthew 25:31-46). Nevertheless, we aren’t to be doormats for every Tom, Dick and Harry who comes our way. As a pastor I've met many people. Many come to our church seeking help that requires a great deal of discernment. There are some who have abused the system—going from church to church, preying upon their good will, but calmly manipulating them for their own purpose, refusing to take responsibility for their actions, and they are, quite plainly, fools.

Encountering a fool is about as much fun as placing your face by the feeding bowl of a pit bull while he’s eating. It’s painful, difficult, and eventually is going to scar you. Fools have answers and excuses for everything, always giving a reason for their troubles, yet never taking responsibility for their own actions. Our job when they come our way is to do absolutely nothing but head the other way. Don’t help a fool, nor entertain their stupidity; you will only find yourself hurt, taken advantage of, and hardened to help those who are really in need. If you do entertain a fool you will find yourself becoming like him, so don’t. Stay away if you can. And if for some reason you can’t, then just make sure that you are not entering into a conversation or situation that is going to hurt you in the long run. Listen to God’s Word, stay away from the fool, give them over to their foolishness and let God deal with them so that He might teach them and rescue them from their foolishness. Amen.