“A prudent man sees evil coming and avoids it, but the foolish continue on
and are penalized.” Proverbs 22:3 (GET Real Bible)
Warning! Danger! Proceed at your own risk! If you saw this warning on a
bridge, you would find another route to be safe. Foolish drivers (some
drunk, some texting) would speed ahead and possibly die. How cautious are
you with life’s other warning signs?
Wise men are farsighted, looking ahead for potential trouble. They avoid a
painful future by altering their decisions today. Prudent men, those with
discretion and wisdom, see the danger ahead, so they avoid it. They do not
want to be hurt, so they change course.
Fools are nearsighted. They confidently rush on with little regard to the
risk and future consequences of their actions. Foolish and hasty, they move
forward without due caution and get hurt. Caught up in the moment, they fail
to protect their future. The warnings they ignored turn into real trouble
that punishes them, often severely.
Slow down! Think! Where are you not looking ahead in life? In what area are
you plowing ahead against warnings of danger? If you tend to haste, you need
this rule more than most. If you are stubborn, you must humble yourself.
Have you carefully assessed all parts of life for their consequences? If you
have not, do so now. Or you will be punished.
Consider war. A wise general weighs a battle and withdraws to fight another
time under better circumstances. The enemy, his own men, and his heart may
call him a coward. But he knows discretion is better than valor. He wants
the odds in his favor before fighting. A foolish general marches on, with a
grand display, to the annihilation of his army.
Consider business. Foolish managers make short-term decisions for current
profits, ignoring the coming changes in the economic or political
environment that will cost them in the long run. Wise men have a sober
strategic plan for future growth and safety, even though it may hurt
short-term profits. They hide their companies from coming trouble.
Consider investments. A wise man laughs at stories of quick riches, as he
knows there is no free lunch. He looks for fine print, lying testimonials,
and promotional tricks. Fools, in eagerness to avoid labor and be important,
simply want to know where to sign and make a deposit. They believe every
word they hear. Their punishment is certain.
Consider marriage. Fools follow beauty and emotions with little regard for
proving a spouse. They end up in a painful marriage (and often, divorce) and
are punished for the rest of their lives by their impatient, impulsive, and
ignorant choice. Wise men use many counselors and God-given criteria to
avoid faulty character and find worthy candidates for a great marriage.
Consider education. If a man does not prepare himself adequately for a
profitable field of endeavor, he must endure the punishment of working
harder for less money than his wise peers. The long-term pain of
underemployment obliterates the short-term pleasure of playing basketball or
video games, driving a fancy sports car, or taking life easy.
Consider finances. Fools spend their money and have no safety net for
trouble, or capital to take advantage of lucrative opportunities. Wise men,
by limiting spending and setting part of all income aside in saving, have
both for the protection and prosperity of their family and estate. Again,
only the man looking ahead will make the right choice today.
Consider children. Wise parents assess their children and alter training to
head off trouble down the road. Foolish parents, too lazy to understand or
train, stay in their parental rut and suffer the painful consequences of
rebellious children. A wise man chooses the difficulty of training to gain
the future reward of successful children.
Consider sin. Wise men avoid temptations that lead to sin. They stay away
from even the appearance of evil. But fools rush on, like Samson and David,
into sins that punish them horribly in the future.
Consider the future. Wise men see the terror coming and live a holy life in
light of it. But fools love the pleasures of sin for a season, ignoring the
eternal pain of their actions. The short-term “pleasure” brings long-term
punishment. The whole world is insanely simple – they totally ignore this
coming day when Jesus Christ will come as a Judge, a day of dread for those
who lived in pleasure here. But it will be an eternity of pleasure for those
who lived for Him here.
Consider the 2012 Fall Elections . . .
[Slightly adapted from “Let God Be True” (www.letgodbetrue.com)]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”