Be Willing To Look Foolish

Fear of Looking Foolish in Public?

I do. I’m working on it though. It all started in public school when we had to write speeches and deliver them in front of the entire school congregation. While my speech was well written, I must say that my delivery wasn’t so hot. I’m happy to say that I survived the ordeal, and happily passed the course so maybe nobody noticed how foolish I was feeling at the time?

There have been plenty of other times in my life where I’ve felt foolish, of course. Some of those times were actually debilitating and prevented me from doing something that could have turned out to be amazing. That's a regret that I have in my life that I’d like to change.

“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors.” 1 John 4:18 AMPC

The other day I was faced with an opportunity that I’ve never experienced before. Praying out loud. I’m a private person by nature and I've always prayed quietly to myself as opposed to sharing it for the world to hear. Plus, I’m still fairly new in my faith so my fear of feeling foolish reared its ugly head. Then at that moment, I opened up the upcoming issue of The Word For You Today to Friday, January 17th 2025. There, in front of me it says: “Be Willing to Look Foolish”. Here’s the passage that speaks to this perfectly:

“A pastor wrote, “Poll after poll has found that most people’s number one fear is speaking in public. Death ranks number two. That means some people would rather die than speak in public. Why? It’s the fear of looking foolish…But faith is the willingness to look foolish. Noah looked foolish building an ark in the desert. Sarah looked foolish buying maternity clothes at ninety. The Israelites looked foolish marching around Jericho blowing trumpets. David looked foolish attacking Goliath with a slingshot…The wise men looked foolish following yonder star. Peter looked foolish stepping out of the boat in the middle of the lake. And Jesus looked foolish hanging half naked on the cross. But that’s the essence of faith. And the results speak for themselves. Noah was saved from the flood. Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down. David defeated Goliath…The wise men found the Messiah. Peter walked on water. And Jesus rose from the dead…The greatest breakthroughs, miracles, and turning points in scripture can be traced back to someone who was willing to look foolish.” Why? Read this scripture: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV). So here is your choice: live by earthly thoughts and ways and be accepted by men, or live by heavenly thoughts and ways and be accepted by God. When you see it from that perspective, your choice is clear.”

How is it that God has a way of giving us what we need when we need it? I thought about this for a while as I pondered the words on the page. My reasoning lead me to this epiphany: The only way we can be receptive to His word is if our eyes are open and our hearts are ready to accept His love! I was overcome with emotion - and strength!

“We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 KJV)

As I continued to peruse the upcoming The Word For You Today issue, my eyes fell onto February 14th 2025: "Throw Out Your Fears".

“When you were young and said a bad word, your parents may have threatened to wash your mouth out with soap. Well, if fear is a dirty word, then faith in God’s unconditional love for you is like soap! ...God’s love for you is not based upon your performance but Christ’s performance on your behalf. When you put your trust in Christ, God sees you “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) from that moment forward...God doesn’t love you more on those days when you’re victorious and less on those days when you’re defeated. His love for you doesn’t vary or vacillate. Knowing that truth will boost your faith and take your fear down a notch!”

He does it again, and I realize another epiphany: God gives me His strength to face my fears, and even if I’m not perfect in my prayers He still loves me. Once again, I was overcome with emotion - and strength - this time not only in my earthly body but also in my faith in Him. What a glorious feeling!

While it’s natural to feel uncertain at times, I’ve learned to face the fear of looking foolish with confidence, knowing that God’s love empowers me to “own my greatness.” Whether I do things perfectly or imperfectly, it’s okay—what matters is stepping forward and sharing my unique gifts. We all have something special to offer, so be brave enough to embrace your imperfections and share your talents with others, trusting in His grace to guide you every step of the way.