That is a powerful statement that addresses the gullibility and the discernment of two types of people. We do not really have to look very far to observe this fact. Because most of modern humankind is bereft of Critical Thinking,
Many of us may remember the “Beanie Baby” craze of the 1990s. That five-inch-high stuffed toy created a market that rose up, made countless millions for those who knew how to market the allegedly exclusive ones and get them off their basement shelves to gullible buyers. Twenty years later, you and I can find boxes of them at garage or yard sales for 50 cents a pop. What does this have to do with thinking, by normally conservative and even discerning folks? Well, some of them THOUGHT they could make the big jackpot by selling the “Princess Diana” purple beanie in the plexiglass case.
This is just one simple, fun and harmless example, unless someone spent their entire social security check on $ 100s of dollars of Beanies, thinking they would pull in the bucks, within weeks and months, only to find out that another million people had the same idea. However, the goal of this series is not to go Dr. Phil on folks and pick on them with “what were you thinking”… about any decision where we follow the crowd. The goal is to develop and train, first in ourselves and then our children, grandchildren, and those whom we mentor, the value of prudent (as opposed to positive) thinking, Biblical thinking, and how to think critically.
The original biblical Hebrew word for “prudent” is “Arum”. It is a word which ranges in definition from being “shrewd, subtle, and prudent” to the almost opposite, as in cunning. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:6, as He warned His disciples to be “as shrewd as serpents but as innocent as a dove”. Two things about this quote from the Greatest Life Coach Who ever lived:
Jesus is NOT saying that we are to be as deceptive as that snake, Satan. This is the sinless Son of God. What Jesus means is to be extremely discerning. That is, to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, as an old song goes.
Every intention of the word “prudent” in Proverbs 14:15 requires we are supposed to have, not just proper thought, but discernment, grounded in truth – objective truth. Objective truth is black and white. Either you believe or you do not. The Bible gives a powerful statement regarding atheists, where the good Book says, “the fool says in his heart, there is no God”. It takes more “faith” to NOT believe your eyes, your conscience, and the law of God written in the hearts of every single human ever born, than the faith it takes to be a believer in Jesus, as Lord. That is literally Objective truth.
There are also terms of Logic. When an atheist or an agnostic (i.e., an atheist who is a coward) makes a statement that there is no such thing as Absolute Truth, when we say that we believe in God, that non-believer has violated the terms of Logic by making an absolute statement. Therefore, under the terms of logic, we can, by all rights, dismiss their argument. Period.
To get to this point of Critical Thinking, one must have a strongly and exponentially growing measure of Biblical Wisdom. The first three Chapters of the Book of Proverbs will be a good place to start and read, over and over, until it sinks into your consciousness. I spent two weeks in Proverbs chapter 2 a while back, as I felt the tug of the Lord pulling me back more and more to those pages to embed those words in my soul. What emerged from that period, where I camped on Chapter 2, was a series called - "A Proverbs 2 Man". (CLICK HERE FOR VIDEOS).
We must be led by the Spirit to discern the wiles of this corrupt world, so that we can function, with an unction, in the Righteousness of God - in thought, in word and in deed. The Holy Spirit will guide us into the pathway of ALL Truth.
To be as shrewd as a serpent and innocent as doves, we must know the ways, teachings, and commands of God so that we will never sin. There is a line in the Lord’s Prayer where Jesus teaches us to pray, in the original language – “do not allow us to fall into temptation”. We have to be buffeted and surrounded by the strength that comes from God and His Word, so that we can spot a trap a mile off. We have to be in our right mind. We have to think. We have to think critically.
Sadly, too many Christians fall for the wiles of a seductive financial deal, woman (or man) or something that is too good to be true. When we have the ability, capacity, and the FREEDOM to RUN in the opposite direction. The Bible gives us clear direction to think critically so we do not ruin what is most precious to us and Him, our witness, testimony, reputation, and families. He has given us these beautiful and powerful words to embed in our consciousness that we can live in peace, joy, and contentment, all the days of our lives.
Proverbs 3:5-7 “: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil". Amen
