Don’t Be Stupid

“So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:17

“I have one rule while we are at youth camp this week,” the youth pastor said to all of us eager teenagers huddled together with our backpacks and sleeping bags. One rule didn’t sound too bad. Normally, there was a whole list of rules covering fireworks and sneaking out as well as pranks and public displays of affection. For the other junior high boys and me, the list of rules was usually interpreted as, “if it’s fun, don’t do it.” One rule couldn’t be all that bad.

“My one rule comes directly from the Bible,” the youth pastor continued. Now, the one rule was a little unclear. If he picked, “do not murder,” there was still a lot of wiggle room! If he went for something like, “love your neighbor as yourself,” it may require a little more work to explain why shaving cream on your bunkmate’s pillow was loving, but surely the youth pastor would have to admit that teasing was one way of expressing love, right? We all waited with anticipation what the one rule would be. He opened his Bible, the Contemporary English Version, to Ephesians 5:17, and he read…

“Don’t be stupid.”

That was the one rule. Don’t be stupid. For a preschooler, the “s-word” is off-limits. For a teenager, the “s-word” is everyday experimentation. How could we possibly know if something counted as “stupid”? Surely he didn’t expect us to know. As if on cue, the youth pastor continued, “If you are wondering if doing something is stupid, it probably is…so don’t do it!” He had us. Somehow the youth pastor had managed to cover all of the stupid things we had already thought to do and the stupid things that had not even occurred to us yet! There would be no excuses. We would each have to account for our choices.

And maybe that’s the point? “Don’t be foolish” can be maddeningly unclear to the ones who want a list of rules. At the same time, it solidly affirms the dignity and responsibility that each of us has to steward our choices. No government, lawyer, or lawnmower parent can change it. We each must account for our choices. This is a terrifying and humbling responsibility. At the same time, it is an exhilarating and elevating opportunity. This an opportunity that you were designed to seize and a responsibility that you were created to shoulder. You can do this!

“Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5:17, CEV).