Happy April Fool’s Day. It’s one of my favorite days of the year. I love a good prank. Honestly, I can appreciate a good prank on me. I can laugh it off and respect you for getting me – but just know, I always take it to the next level.

April Fool’s Day is all about the pranks and it’s all fun and games. Well, sometimes. Let’s look at what a prank actually is:

Prank
/præŋk/
noun
1. A mischievous trick or joke, especially one in which something is done rather than said.

The basic element of a prank is that the victim of the prank believes something to be true that really isn’t. It’s funny because everyone observing the victim knows the truth and it’s HILARIOUS watching the victim struggle. What makes a prank work is that the victim doesn’t know something. If the victim knew about the person about to jump out from behind the wall, it wouldn’t be a prank. If the victim knew about the fake door, it wouldn’t be funny.

So what’s the point of all this?

Good question. You may not end up the victim of an elaborate prank today for April Fool’s Day, but there’s a good chance that you’re being fooled regardless. It’s very possible that you are leading your ministry under a certain set of assumptions and ideas that simply aren’t true. If you were able to remove yourself from the situation, you could see the truth.

You’re being pranked.

You’re being fooled.

April Fool’s Day pranks are fun. Being fooled in ministry isn’t. Being fooled in ministry means less impact. Being fooled in ministry means poor decisions. Being fooled in ministry could mean the difference in someone’s eternity. It’s not a game we should take likely, let kidmin leaders from around the world are fooled every single day.

So, this week we’re going to unpack the pranks we all fall for. Don’t be fooled by what seems right. Seek to understand what is true and lead in that truth.