Day 141, Year 1

Eliminating Misguided Tolerance

“The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15 NKJV)

Those who trust in their own hearts are somewhat uncommonly self-confident, while those who “believe every word” are too trusting of others. There are a few points worth pondering here. First, “believes every word” implies a problem of credulity and misguided faith in others. The more alarming thing is that they do not distinguish between the words of God and those of humans, always blindly following human words. In contrast, God’s wisdom and understanding aim to encourage believers to learn discernment, first to discern between the words of God and human words, and then to firmly heed His words.

Second, simple-minded people who “believe every word” have excessive trust in others, particularly toward one or two people. Usually, simpletons have been taught from a young age to trust a certain person around them, such as their caretakers, thus developing the habit of wrong believing. They are afraid to question their authorities, for any questioning would likely induce punishment. As a result, this fosters an unreasonable habit of blind obedience. This might not be an issue when they newly believe in Jesus, but problems arise as their faith grows, since the Christian faith demands reflection and introspection. Moreover, there might appear to be some contradictions within different scriptures, which makes blind obedience impossible. The faith calls us to open and think through various problems, as we progressively obey God through resolving doubts one by one.

Third, simpletons tolerate and accept self-contradictions. A human-centered faith is bound to have self-contradictions and would inevitably waver on various occasions. When simpletons blindly follow other people, these self-contradictions might become deeply ingrained within them. After conversion, there might exist simultaneously belief and unbelief in God within them. Often, this unbelief would ultimately lead to their setback or even downfall in faith. So, we usually need to resolve the unbelief within us unto its root, which includes extirpating the tolerance of self-contradiction so as to believe in Jesus firmly.  

Finally, “the prudent considers well his steps.” “Consider” is biyn in Hebrew, which means the prudent “understand, discern, and pay close attention” to where they are going. Similarly, we need to discern right from wrong, good from bad consequences, etc., thereby understanding the decisions we need to make. Conversely, simpletons are not cautious and prudent in their choices, and some people act recklessly. The ending of these two types of people is obvious.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you tend to trust others too much, therefore struggling to trust in Jesus completely, or lacking faith in Him? If so, how would you rely on the Lord to resolve this problem?

2) Do you tolerate self-contradictions within yourself to the point where you become used to them? If so, how would you resolve this problem?