Prudent vs Naive 

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple (naive) pass on, and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3 KJV)

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. (Proverbs 27:12 KJV)

An Important Repetition

When something is repeated in the Bible, it means that it is important.  The prudent or wise man foresees evil and avoids it.  The simple or naive person believes anything and everything without considering the consequences of what they believe.

Many people tell me that God cannot be a good God if our eternal destiny depends simply on believing.  Of course, they don’t distinguish between believing casually about something and being convinced something is true and believing or trusting in that truth.  However, the Lord wants our trust, and so who and what we believe is very important. The prudent person understands this.

Importance of the Mind

The Bible emphasizes the importance of the mind.  The word repent is an example.  It means a change of mind.  By nature we think wrong.  Generally, whatever we think is right is wrong when looked at from a natural rather than from a spiritual perspective.  Isaiah says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Isaiah 55:7-9 NKJV).”

Since we are all sinners by nature and by practice according to Romans 1-3, I am sure that the above verses in Isaiah apply to all of us and that is why a change of mind is so necessary for us to truly believe God.  But after we are saved, do we protect our minds so that Satan cannot cause us to doubt God?   Paul writes about that in the chapter in Ephesians dealing with the battle that we are fighting every day, “Above all, taking the shield of (the) faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16 NKJV).”

We need a helmet of salvation to protect the mind in that chapter.  Do we realize that Satan is bombarding us everyday with lies and doubts, and do we realize how necessary it is to be prudent and to hide ourselves from his “wiles” or cunning craftiness?  Most of us have a problem with believing that we are right and that everyone who disagrees with us is wrong.  However, when it comes to spiritual things we can all be wrong because Satan doesn’t care what lie we believe as long as we don’t believe the truth.  But we can’t all be right.  God is very narrow when it comes to truth.  Our believing doesn’t make anything true, but when the Holy Spirit convinces us of the truth, then we can believe it.  In other words, believing makes truth effective in our lives.

The Way to be Prudent

So what is the solution?  Paul gives us some help in this matter.  He says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2 NKJV).”  In spite of what some say, I do not believe that we can be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.  Paul also says, “And do not be conformed (or molded)  to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2 NKJV).”  How can our minds be renewed?  I believe it takes a desire to allow the Holy Spirit to change our minds so that we have the mind of Christ.  Paul also says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:5 NKJV).”  The mind of Christ involved humility and sacrifice and led to the death of the cross.  The death of Christ did not destroy Him. He did not cease to exist.   He is going to be highly exalted and we should want to have His mind and we should realize that our exaltation comes when Christ is exalted and not before.

We need to be prudent and we need to guard our minds.  We need to be heavenly minded and not occupied with earthly reward.  We need to realize that we don’t always think right, but by admitting that and letting Scripture rule, maybe, just maybe, we can be transformed and our minds can be renewed.  Then and then only will the world see Christ in us.  Then and then only will we be anxious for nothing but we will be at peace and content.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of March 16 and 23, 2025

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.