Foolish Questions

 

After Thanksgiving dinner, the adults gathered in the living room to exchange reminisces, while the children went into the family room to play. Suddenly our hostess noticed that an elderly relative was missing. “Where’s Aunt Florence?” she asked. From across the room came a masculine drawl, “Oh, she’s with the kids, attempting to bridge the generation gap.” Did you know December is the only month with a “D” in it?

I remember a song titled "Foolish Questions” by Johnny Cash (Tall Man Album – 1979) in part says: ‘…And you all know the story of the man you meet on the way, You say to him, “Hey how's Trix?” and you'll listen to him while he says, Says he's just been to the funeral of poor old uncle Ned, And the next question he's gonna ask is, “Is Ned dead?” Foolish questions, you might as well reply, “No Ned thought he'd have a funeral and later on some time he’ll die; You know he is so original that he wanted it that way; Foolish questions, you'll hear them every day…’

Then there’s the carpet salesperson who calls the customer at their place of employment to inform them that their carpet installation at their home has been completed. The homeowner asked, “When I get home will it hurt it if I walk on it?” Don’t you know the salesperson would love to reply, “Of course it will! You’ll have to stay off that carpet for at least six months!” Yeh, foolish questions – bit your tongue – carry on.

[Titus 3:3-7] With the winter holidays just around the corner, we will all be seeing items and hearing stories related to the season. As such, I just read about the fact that there is a website known as emailsanta.com where young ones may write an electronic letter to the North Pole. Several letters from these innocent children were funny, but one stood out to me. Wesley, age seven, wrote: “Mommy and Daddy say I have not been very good these past few days. How bad can I be before I lose my presents?”

This letter reflects an attitude often displayed by “religious” adults. We ask, “How bad can I be before I lose my salvation?” Clearly, the Bible teaches that it is possible for one, who has really and truly been saved, to sin in such a way as to forfeit their salvation. “...You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:1-4 NKJV). “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6). In light of this, why is it that so many seek to do “as little as possible” or “just enough to get by” when it comes to spiritual matters? Have you asked: “Do Wednesday nights really count?” “Can’t I use these words if I’m really mad or scared?” “What is the smallest amount I can drop in the collection plate?” “How bad can I be and stay on God’s good side?”

May I suggest that it all boils down to lack of love? It is a lack of love felt for our God. It is a lack of understanding just how deeply and sincerely our God loves us. Consider the attitude of Paul: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV). If we truly understood how much God loves us, we would, like Paul, be motivated to a life of loving and positive action! We would never dream of asking, “How bad can I be?” What a foolish question when thinking about eternal life.