Proverbs 14:15 (NIV®)
The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.
It’s the simple things in life that are the best, right? A lazy afternoon at the lake. Grilling dinner for a family gathering. The sound of rain hitting the roof or the laugh of a child. The comfort of your favorite pillow when you’re exhausted. All of these are simple in their own way, but are wonderful and refreshing.
The Bible talks about another kind of simple. Those who are simple minded. If you search through the book of Proverbs, you will find that a simple person is not reflected in a good light. They are gullible, resistant to learning, wayward, easily taken advantage of, ignorant and don’t correct course even when danger seems to be ahead. We might say they have no “common sense”, are “not the brightest bulb in the box”, or “not the sharpest tool in the shed”.
Today, there are people from all sides telling us what we ought to think or feel. We watch something on television and they interpret it for us, as if we need help understanding. Sometimes they tell us we don’t see what we saw. You know, the hand up that says “there’s nothing to see here, folks”. Sometimes they tell us we saw something we didn’t. Sometimes they say something that seems totally off-base that just can’t be true, but is it? If we’re simple minded, we accept it all. We don’t take the time to even think about it. We accept what we’re told and move on, oblivious to any consequences.
The point is, we can afford to enjoy the simple things in life, but we can’t afford to be simple minded in life. We won’t escape trouble if we aren’t willing to pay attention, evaluate, and act.
God gave us eyes to see, ears to hear and a mind to process and evaluate what we see and hear. That means we probably shouldn’t agree with everything we are told. Let’s be attentive. What is the truth of what is taking place around us? What does God say about these things? What does your “common sense” tell you? How does that stand up to the principles we know from scripture? These are days where being simple might be more costly than you think. So, enjoy the simple things in life that are good, especially during this holiday week, but always be on guard to not be simple minded in anything.
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