Looking Foolish

by Mark Batterson

Below is a copy of an blog from Pastor Mark Batterson of National Theater Church in D.C. Mark is a church planter who started a church in
a movie theater at Union Station in DC. (This is the church that our son Spencer attends.)

"Looking Foolish"

It seems like the people that God uses the most are the people who are willing to climb trees like Zaccheus or get out of boats in the middle of the lake like Peter or follow stars like the Wise Men or chase lions like Benaiah! Translation: they are willing to look foolish.

I Corinthians 1:27 reveals God’s modus operandi: God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.

Nothing has changed. God still uses fools.

Faith is the willingness to look foolish. And the reason some of us have never experienced a miracle is because we're not willing to look foolish. If you aren't willing to look foolish God can't use you. Why? Because God uses the foolish things. So let me say it like it is: if you aren't willing to look foolish you're foolish.

Don’t tell me Noah didn’t feel a little foolish building an ark when rain wasn’t in the forecast for another 120 years! Don’t tell me David didn’t feel a little foolish going to war with a slingshot. Don’t tell me Benaiah didn’t feel a little foolish chasing the king of the beasts. Don’t tell me the Wise Men didn’t feel a little foolish when Jewish border agents asked them the reason for their visit. Don’t tell me a professional fisherman named Peter didn’t feel a little foolish stepping out of the boat in the middle of the lake. And don’t tell me Jesus didn’t feel a little foolish hanging half-naked on the cross in front of him family and friends.

But faith is the willingness to look foolish. And the results speak for themselves. Noah was saved from the flood. David defeated Goliath. Benaiah killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The Wise Men found the Messiah. Peter walked on water. And Jesus was raised from the dead.