The above slogan is a very personal one for me, dating back to my teen years.  Everyone is a fool for some one or some thing. When I was in high school, I decided to admit I was a fool for Christ. 

I really had no choice.  God created me with something of an independent spirit.  I know we hear a lot about that in America, and how so many of us (especially males) strive to be independent in some way.  But in high school, you can glance around and tell pretty quick who really stands on their own, and who is a slave to the opinions of others.  Even as adults, most of us are following somebody or some set of ideas.

As a young man whose life had been transformed by Jesus Christ, I was devoted to the teachings of Jesus.  I wanted to know all there was to know about God's will for my life, and I wanted the whole world to know I belonged to Christ.  I carried a large red leather Bible around with all my books, and read it whenever I had an opportunity.

Of course, it didn't take long for the other kids to notice that I had a Bible with me.  And the reactions I got from others was to be expected.  In my school, no one else was carrying a Bible around or reading one at lunch and other breaks in the daily schedule.  I was a real oddball in the eyes of my fellow students, not to mention my teachers.

Over and over, I had to answer many of the same questions.  "Is that a Bible?"  "Why do you have a Bible with you in school?"  "Hey, what's the Bible for, are you a religious fanatic?" 

Mostly, I was amused by the questions.  I enjoyed talking to the other kids about my Lord and why I believed in Him.  But lots of students never said anything or asked any questions.  They would just stare at the Bible and at me, and wonder. 

Finally, an idea occurred to me.  Why not make good use of that huge, bright red Bible cover?  So I took a large permanent black marking pen and wrote on the back cover of the bible: "I'm a Fool for Christ, Whose Fool are You?"

Needless to say, that slogan stopped some of the kids from asking silly questions.  But it also provoked others to speak up, challenging my faith and my stand for Christ.  In all situations, we need to count the cost of whatever actions we take.  Some of my days in high school were made a little rougher by my odd behavior.  But mostly, I had a good time, and was able to share what little I knew about Jesus and His ways with my fellow students.

To this day, I have little time for trying to impress others with "religion."  I do not try to convince anyone of my personal piety, even though to do so is not always a bad thing.  I'd rather point all people to Jesus Christ. 

We are all sinners in need of a very great Savior.  I am not going to go to heaven because I was a good man, a good witness for Jesus, or a good anything.  Jesus Himself argued that only God is good (Matthew 19:17).  Any good that others see in us needs to always be credited back to God's grace in Christ (see Ephesians 2:4-10).  Point the world to Jesus.

Jim

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