A Foolish Person

A few years ago I was among a group of high school teens and overheard one of them call another a "fool". I wasn't really eavesdropping but just happened to be in a position where I couldn't help hearing this exchange between the two young ladies. A few minutes later I was able to catch the one girl alone and asked her, "Have you ever read what Jesus said about calling someone a "fool"? She looked at me a little shocked and replied, "No! Mind your own business." I apologized for intruding then said, "It's in your Bible at Matthew 5:22. You should read it." Three days later I happened to be at that school again and that young lady came up to me and said, "You were right. I wont call anyone that again. Thank you for intruding."
As I recall that exchange I think that young girl was only echoing a common practice among her peers and had never actually thought about it's implication or that Jesus would have anything to say about it. But, I think she got the message that calling another person a "fool" is reserved for the judgment of God.
Solomon wrote a lot about "fools" and how their lives never seem to work out.
"A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless."
"A quick tempered man does foolish things and a crafty man is hated."
"A patient man has great understanding, but a quick tempered man displays folly."
"Lady wisdom is at home in an understanding heart, fools never even get to say hello." Proverbs 14:16-17, 29 (NIV), 33 (MSG).
Solomon's description of a foolish person is probably both the voice of inspiration and experience. We've all been there at times. Hotheaded, reckless, quick-tempered, crafty, without understanding, unacquainted with wisdom is the description of a life destined to fail.
Paul paints this very picture of himself at Romans 7:14 and following. His message is this, "THERE IS NO HOPE FOR A FOOL." But he didn't stop there because Jesus came and changed the formula. Jesus inserted the will of God the Father into the hopeless life of every fool and he has given us an absolute guarantee by putting his Holy Spirit in our own hearts. The Spirit of Christ frees us from the condemnation of our fleshly nature and then trains us to hear and walk by the will of our Father.
Paul outlined this crucial ministry of the Holy Spirit for me at Romans 8. I read it often just to remind my heart to reject the ways of a fool. I think God doesn't want me to end up like Solomon. I don't either.