At One Time We Too Were Foolish

Titus 3:3
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Contemporary English Version
We used to be stupid, disobedient, and foolish, as well as slaves of all sorts of desires and pleasures. We were evil and jealous. Everyone hated us, and we hated everyone.

This confession comes from a humble and sober heart. From this confession, pride is defeated. From this confession we tolerate others. From this confession, we will forgive others. From this confession, others will get a second chance. If only all of us could make this confession, that we too were once foolish.

At one time, yes at some point in our past we were foolish. We have not always been perfect though we look perfect and present ourselves as perfect. In our life’s story, there is a time we were as foolish as these ones or even worse. It may have been forgiven and forgotten but we learned that human is to error. If at some point we were foolish and we survived, they too who are foolish now will get over it. At one time we too were foolish!

We too, not them alone. They are now foolish, but at one time, we too were foolish. Therefore we shouldn’t react as if what they have said and done is so unique. They have spoken foolishly. They have acted foolishly. But if we were, to be honest, we would help them more than condemning them, because at one time we were exactly where they are now and probably worse. At one time we too were foolish!

Apostle Paul gives Titus instructions on church leadership. While explaining God’s amazing salvation, he tells Titus that the worst of people today can too be saved just as we too have been saved. At one time we too were foolish!

Paul expects Titus to bear with foolish church members. The church is full of foolish people and foolish activities. Paul tells Titus to help them receive salvation. Help them without pride and arrogance. Help them patiently. They look terrible but they will get better just like we got better. At one time we too were foolish!

Paul tells Titus that we were as disobedient as they are today. We were as deceived as they are deceived today. We were enslaved by passions and pleasures as they are enslaved today. Just like them today, we too lived in malice and envy. Like them we hated people and they hated us, like them, we thrived in this toxic competitive environment. At one time we too were foolish!

Titus 3:4 begins with the word but. While we were as foolish as they are, God saved us when we didn’t deserve it. Even though this person or these people are behaving foolishly, the same grace of God that changed our story can change their story. The word but can interrupt the negative story of their life by introducing God’s power to save. We too were foolish BUT God saved us from the foolishness and now it is our past. At one time we too were foolish!

We too were teenagers. We too were mischievous. We too ate school fees. We too wasted our parent’s money by poor performance. We too had boyfriends and girlfriends. We too were madly in love and unstoppable. We too had poor grades. We too had a disinterest in church things. We too procured abortion. We too repeated classes. We too made diversions during official trips in order to meet some boy or girl. We too dated a way older person. We too almost broke some family. We too got pregnant out of marriage. At one time we too were foolish!

We too dressed skimpily. We too adored music stars. We too spent the most time thinking of love and not studies. We too enjoyed secular music. We too had weird fashion and hairstyles. At one time we too were foolish!

We too as ladies thought premarital sex would improve love but it kept leading to heartbreaks. We too as men thought sex would be a one time thing, but it left us stranded with a wrong partner. We too were foolish to think if we love and marry a bad person, a physical abuser, a drug abuser, an unfaithful person, a non-believer, one of another faith, that they will change to be what we desire. At one time we too were foolish!

We too believed in politics and politicians. We too believed that constitutional change was a direct guarantee to a better life. We too believed that our favorite politician will make a better leader. We too defended people who don’t know us and who don’t pay us. We too aggressively argued and chatted endlessly online to defend positions in politics. We too were addicted to politics and news-hour. At one time we too were foolish!

We too were members of churches that taught things that directly contradicted the Bible. We too thought Christianity is wrong and only our religion was right. We too followed a church where the owner and leader are just making money out of us. We too respected a leader in a manner that is blasphemy. We too argued against the Biblical sabbath. We too spoke in tongues. We too stayed in wrong churches and religions because of parents yet God is greater than parents and family tradition. At one time we too delayed baptism and rebaptism without realizing that it was spiritually dangerous. At one time we too were foolish!

We too thought the church couldn’t do without us. We too thought the whole church must do things our way. We too engaged in church wrangles and issues. At one time we too were foolish!

We too had grudges. We too were too proud to forgive. We too demanded apologies. We too thrived in controversies. We too were too hard on our partners. We too thought we can change our spouses by threats, arm twisting, and nagging. We too fought. We too tried a silent treatment and didn’t talk to each other for days. We too publicized our marriage problems to everyone and we regretted it. We too refused to adjust to make things better. At one time we too were foolish!

We too thought that science contradicted religion. We too thought believing creation was not for the educated, civilized and logical people. We too thought that if you had faith you did not need to take diseases seriously. We too thought COVID-19 is not real and we should not wear masks, sanitize or maintain physical distance. In fact we too only looked for articles that promoted our perception of COVID-19 and shared those ones only. At one time we too were foolish!

We too wanted quick wealth and made a poor judgment that brought losses. We too bought shares from companies that collapsed afterward. We too got into pyramid schemes that sell strange products. We too lost money in offshore investments that were to triple the money in weeks. We too took loans and instead of investing we wasted it on private cars and furniture. We too lent people money who swore to pay and they never paid. At one time we too were foolish!

We too thought it is prudent to pursue income at the expense of the things of God. We too prioritized work over God and family. We too thought that on our dying bed we will be visited and comforted full time by our bosses, colleagues, customers, friends, bar maids, drug peddlers, social media followers, social media friends, WhatsApp group Admin and friends, reports, titles, plots of land, cars, houses and bank accounts, only to discover the family we ignored are our true comfort. The God we ignored is the one we needed throughout life and at the end of life. At one time we too were foolish!

The examples are endless. The confession remains the same, we too were once foolish. In fact, the Contemporary version cited above, tells us that we were stupid. We used to be stupid. God saved us from stupidity. God will save those we think are stupid today. Guide them gently and firmly, bearing with them, knowing that you too were stupid and God saved you. We used to be stupid!

Dear God, save me from stupidity today. Help me to bear with those I must deal with yet they are outrightly or covertly stupid. Save me from pride and arrogance by reminding me that I once was stupid. Save me from all stupidity including that of not bearing with the stupidity of others, add a BUT of salvation in my life’s story, in Jesus’ name, Amen!