Did you get pranked this April Fool’s Day, or were you the one doling out the pranks? We aren’t all the type who enjoy such shenanigans.

Do we ever, though, try to fool others when we…

put a shield over our personality to hide our weaknesses?

lament about our troubles as a sneaky means of grasping affirmation?

compare ourselves with others to self-righteously elevate ourselves?

How often do we fool ourselves by rationalizing our sin, hoping God excuses it?

But, we cannot fool God. Although we look at our outward appearances, God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7b). He knows our motives and our intentions.

Do we honor the holy God when we live in ways that dishonor him?  

Do we reflect the love of Jesus when we are mean-spirited and unforgiving?

Do we show the power of the Holy Spirit when we give up during trials?  

How can we commit to live for Jesus when we slide so easily into living for ourselves?

We can give praise to God and take our focus off of ourselves (Hebrews 13:15).

We can ask God to examine our heart and our mind (Psalm 26:2b) and then give him permission to transform us (Romans 12:1) through his Holy Spirit.

We can bask in God’s presence (James 4:8) and allow his words to penetrate our heart (Hebrews 4:12), grasping more of his profound love for us (Romans 8:38-39).

Let’s fall humbly before him, in appreciation of his mercy, and cry out to God, ‘I need you! I want to love you more! Please work in me for your glory!”

Laying down our pride before the Lord can feel raw. The profound and beautiful ways in which the Spirit works in us can be uncomfortable as we wrestle with our natural tendencies, realizing our sin. Laying aside our selfish ways and putting on the ways of the Lord takes daily effort, giving way for the Holy Spirit to work in us. We must choose to trust and submit to the holy Lord who reigns.

Jesus didn’t leave his heavenly throne for humiliation and death so that we would continue to live in the bondage of sin. Let’s stop fooling ourselves.