Fool's Gold

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

~ Proverb 14:12

My daughter is attending day camp for the first time this week. Of course, the camp is Christ-centered and she is having a great time. (Anyone who knows our family knows that we are extremely selective about who gets to be an influence in our lives!) She is also learning a lot… including lessons we need to be reminded of from time to time. Today, she learned about Fool’s Gold.

“Fool’s Gold,” or Pyrite, is a common iron sulfide whose metallic luster and pale yellowish coloration give it a superficial resemblance to true Gold. However, while they may look like to the untrained eye, Gold and Fool’s Gold are intrinsically different. And, although Pyrite does have some handy uses, it is an unstable element which can advance the deterioration of composite materials or even spontaneously explode.

Now, the application for my daughter’s learning is where you (dear reader) come to mind. She is being given an example from the physical world as an illustration of the necessity to distinguish between what people tell her and God’s Word actually says. 

So, I thought I’d make a list of 20 statements that are Fool’s Gold. That is, although they sound good, they are not biblical and some are quite dangerous lies. Some of them may surprise you. What I've listed is only a sampling and they are in no particular order. I won’t bother to refute them in detail here; I’ll leave that to the Holy Spirit and your own exploration.

1) God helps those who help themselves.

2) All that really matters is that we are sincere about what we believe.

3) All roads lead to God. (See John 14:6)

4) Unity is the highest goal.

5) Spirituality is a path to inner peace, connection, truth, and love.

6) If you raise your kids right, then they will come back to God eventually. (Not what Proverb 22:6 means!)

7) Money is the root of all evil. (Not what 1 Timothy 6:10 says!)

8) Cleanliness is next to godliness.

9) All things work together for good. (See Romans 8:28 to see who this idea actually applies to and how)

10) God won’t give you more than you can handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13 is not about burdens)

11) To thine own self be true.

12) This too shall pass.

13) God wants you to be happy.

14) If you work hard enough, you’ll be successful.

15) Just follow your heart and believe, and you can do anything.

16) We can do miracles when we believe. (Actually, it’s God who does miracles)

17) All truth is God’s truth.

18) We are all part of the brotherhood of man. (See 2 Corinthians 6:14)

19) You'll get through this.

20) It's all going to be okay.