Don't Be Gullible

Proverbs 1:21-23  “Wisdom cries out, “How long O simple ones will you be immature?  How long will you fight wisdom and scoff at truth?  If you will turn and give attention to My correction, I Wisdom will pour out my spirit upon you and will make my words known to you.”  
 
As we have seen, the book of Proverbs speaks about “the simple”.  This doesn’t refer to someone who lacks intelligence, but someone whose thinking is still unformed and easily influenced.  We could say gullible or quick to believe without checking facts first.  The simple person has not yet learned to weigh truth carefully, so they can be easily persuaded by whatever voice is loudest or most appealing at the moment.  

Proverbs warns that simplicity, when left unchecked, can lead a person into trouble because they have not yet learned to evaluate the path before them.  
 
The simple person tends to accept ideas without examining them first, will follow the crowd without questioning direction, and make choices based on impulse rather than research and understanding.  This is why Scripture repeatedly calls us to grow in wisdom.  

God never intended for His people to remain spiritually naive or easily swayed.  Through His Word, He gives us the ability to discern truth, evaluate situations and recognize the difference between wisdom and deception.  
 
Growth in wisdom requires intentional attention to God’s voice.  When we listen to His instruction and apply it to our lives, our thinking matures and our discernment increases.

Over time what once confused us becomes clear, and what once tempted us loses it’s appeal.  Wisdom strengthens the structure of our thinking so that our lives are not easily shaken by every situation, opinion, trend or pressure around us.  
 
Wisdom Statement:  
Wisdom turns simplicity into stability.