Proverbs 27:12
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Prudence isn’t a word that we hear much about these days, but it’s a wonderful word. The prudent person not only discerns the right thing to do, but does it. They make good plans and anticipate the problems that might occur. Our society is incredibly safety conscious and that is obviously a good thing, although it can easily be taken to extremes. There was a well-publicised story of a headteacher who insisted that children playing conkers should wear goggles, and suggestions that candy floss on sticks should be banned for fear of people tripping up and impaling themselves! Happily, the Health and Safety Executive disagreed with both approaches. What we need is to live and make our plans carefully and sensibly.
Jesus spoke about the importance of planning when he talked about the person who proposed to build a tower. He pointed out that it was important to estimate the cost of completing the job before the work began. He said: “For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him.” (Luke 14:29). The careful work of preparation is demanding but it needs to be done, and done well.
The simpleton, on the other hand, has a completely different approach. They can’t be bothered with plans or checking the regulations. They aren’t willing to spend time doing complicated sums. They just want to see the job done and so they blindly rush ahead until - whoops! - their plans run into a brick wall. We’ve all seen it happen and, let’s be clear, Christians (like everyone else) can act with great foolishness at times. There can be such an eagerness to see a project happen that the thoughtful planning stages are rushed or totally overlooked.
The world would be a much better place if we all worked hard at being prudent!
Question – Who is the most prudent person you know and what have you learnt from them?
Prayer – Loving God, help me to act prudently today. Amen

Released on 26 Oct 2022