Series: Youth for Jesus
Number: Vol. 8, No. 35
“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” (Prov 14:15NIV)
Who is Solomon referring to in our opening text as a simple man? He is referring to anyone who is simple-minded. And who are the simple-minded? They are not the easy-going ones, as many people often assume. Rather, they are individuals who make judgments based on limited understanding or comprehension of the situations they are dealing with.
Therefore, they usually make foolish decisions.As Solomon shows us in our opening text, one of the reasons a simple person often makes foolish decisions is that he is too quick to believe anything they tell him. And why is that so? It is so largely because he is making decisions on the basis of sentiments, not on the basis of reason.
For example, if you can cry enough while talking to a simple person, he will most likely believe anything you tell him. Also, if you can show enough seriousness in addressing him, he will believe you. Why? His focus is on your seriousness, not on verifying the facts of what you are saying. That, of course, is how swindlers and false preachers often ensnare people.
In addition, if you can get a number of people to commend you to a simple-minded person, he will most likely believe whatever you say to him and begin to trust you. He will not make any personal effort to verify what has been said about you or to test you in any way. He will not even consider the character of those commending you to him. He will just believe that you are exactly who or what they say that you are.
Moreso, if you are a relative of a simple-minded person, he will most likely believe whatever you say. Why? His belief is that a family member will not deceive him or lie to him. And is that true? Can you trust every one of your family members to always tell you the truth? No! But a simple-minded person will do so and allow himself to be injured first before he wakes up to the fact that people and things are not always what they appear to be.
In 1Kings 13 is the story of a young and promising prophet that was fooled by an older and forgotten prophet. Why was the older prophet able to fool this younger prophet? The reason was that he was simple. He had never met this prophet before. He had never even heard of him before to know whether he had a reputation for honesty or not. Also, he did not bother to ask himself why he was the one God sent to do the job in question and not that older prophet. Yet he believed everything he told him.
Why? First, it was because that man had told him that he was a prophet. Second, it was because the man was an older man, perhaps old enough to be his father. But then, is it everyone that calls himself a prophet that is a true prophet of God? No! And is it every old person that is trustworthy? No! Sadly, that young prophet lost his life prematurely and needlessly because he was too simple to make a sound judgment of the situation he found himself in.Now we too can get seriously wounded, if we choose to be simple-minded.
Yes, we can get ourselves into unnecessary troubles, if we will not embrace the hard work involved in carefully, patiently and prayerfully examining situations before we make decisions about them.So, refuse to be simple-mined and begin to give yourself to carefully considering whatever you hear, see or want to do. And may the good Lord continually keep you from every trap of destruction. Amen.
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