Proverbs 1:4. to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.
In the book of Proverbs, the simple person is the one who simply doesn’t know things or understand things. They have no life skill. Every one of us is born simple.
Being simple isn’t bad when you are young. When you’re a child you aren’t expected to have wisdom and insight yet. Like the Apostle Paul said, when you’re a child you think like a child and act like a child. That’s why Solomon collected these proverbs for the young men of his kingdom, so that the youth could grow up and put away childish things. So they could learn to be prudent instead of simple.
What is prudence? To be prudent means you have a plan.
If you’ve ever gone on a business trip or a family vacation, likely you had a plan. You packed a bag. Had an agenda. Knew when the flight left. Had access to money. You were prudent. Chances are you prudently planned your college education or your career path. Maybe you are prudently saving for your retirement.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with being a free spirit and not planning out every detail of your life. And we must also balance our prudence with a faith in God that allows us to trust him even when things don’t work out the way we planned. But make no mistake, prudence is part of wisdom. It is part of navigating the complexities of life.
Jesus not only had a plan, he WAS God’s plan. God prudently planned to send his only Son to save us even before we were created or rebelled. In the fullness of time, Galatians tells us, God sent his son, Jesus, born of a woman, born under the law. Throughout his entire earthly life, Jesus never deviated from the Father’s will. Even at twelve years old, he had to be about his Father’s business. Jesus prudently followed the plan of God because he was the plan of God. His life and his death, his resurrection and his glorification, his union with us and our union with him is the one and only plan of God to restore all of creation.
Rest assured Christian, God has a wonderful plan for your life, most importantly your reconciliation to God and your conformation to the likeness of Christ. That’s the plan! Christ-likeness. Image bearing. Love sharing. God trusting. Grace giving.
What is your plan for becoming like Christ? Or is your only plan to not have a plan? To stay spiritually simple your whole life? Milk drinking instead of meat eating?
Spiritual growth requires prudence. It requires trusting your union with Christ, resting in who you are in him. No one grows in Christ without prudence, without a plan, without grace empowered effort. Maybe this could be the year that you stop being spiritually simple and begin trusting God’s transforming power in your life, training for godliness, standing on his promises, and working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The salvation that God has already worked into you by his grace.
You: Are you a planner? What plans are you making in your life currently?
You in Christ: Why must any plan for spiritual growth begin with knowing that you are securely in Christ?
Christ in you: What is the biggest obstacle to you working out your salvation? What step can you take to remove that obstacle?
Pray: Father, you had a plan to save us and you did it! Help me to be prudent and have a plan for living in a way that trusts you and loves others. Amen.
To Live is Christ 