05/27/2026
MAY 27 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
2 Timothy 3:9 - AVOID THE IDOL OF FOLLY
In this verse today, we see the third idol to avoid in your life if you’re going to truly serve the Lord your God. It is the idol of FOLLY. What does that mean? The Greek word in today’s verse that is translated “folly” is ANOIA. It means to exercise a LACK OF SENSE about yourself. Or for us in our study of idol-worship, it means a non-proportional willingness to risk life and limb in the name of “adventure”. Now listen, I’m all for living life to the fullest, and to enjoy a thrill or two along the way. Any of you who know me know I love to ride extreme rides at the amusement park, and for me going faster is always something I love to do, whether it be on two wheels or four! However, I must always remember I have a job to do for God, and that job requires me to stay in one piece, and not risk life and limb unnecessarily in the pursuit of another thrill of some kind. For many believers, they haven’t yet found that balance, so FOLLY has become an idol for them that the devil is using to distract them from the things that are truly important as far as God is concerned. Years ago, God told me not to ride in small, private airplanes unless those flights were commissioned specifically by the Holy Spirit for kingdom business. Why? Why would He tell me that? Well, I think it’s because He knows my tendencies to live on the wilder side of life, and therefore, I could easily and unknowingly allow FOLLY to become an idol that ultimately leads to my premature exit from earth! My friend, there’s nothing wrong with having some thrills in this life, in fact, that’s part of how God put a man together in the first place. But on the other hand, if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself a slave to the idol of FOLLY, and that could lead you into a situation that give the devil an opportunity to hurt or even kill you.
If you have watched our society evolve over the last 30 or 40 years, you’ve no doubt seen the ever-increasing tendency to glorify those who take unnecessary risks in the name of living life “on the edge”. People just out there looking for the next big thrill, whatever that may be. Sometimes we call it “extreme sports”. That has become an idol in the lives of too many believers, and we need to get rid of it before it drives us to a place we were never intending to go. Example: have you ever heard of men going through the “mid-life crisis”? What is that? I think It’s just what we’re talking about here, the idol of FOLLY. Middle-aged people trying to recapture their youth by doing things that remind them of what it was like to be young and free. Some of that is harmless, like wearing clothes designed for younger people, and things like that (even if they look ridiculous when doing so). But some of it can be dangerous, putting those who do it at risk for injury or even death. Once again, there’s nothing wrong with staying young at heart, and doing as much as possible to stay physically fit and active, but not to the point where your life becomes threatened, and therefore, the lives of those who have come to depend upon you - like a spouse, children, staff members, etc. So, the next time you feel the “urge” to do something daring and wild, be sure you’ve gone to the Lord first, and gotten His approval on it before you do it. Don’t let a lack of sense create an idol in your life that Satan can take advantage of. Keep things in perspective. Remember, if you were taken home to heaven prematurely today by way of some unnecessary stunt or thrill-pursuit, how many lives would be affected, and what impact would your death have on God’s Great Commission (Mark 16:15-20)?
