Thursday, March 13, 2014

Don't Be Simple

Read Proverbs 7

"I'm just a simple man" would be common Southern colloquialism. By stating so, one is implying that they have neither a desire for loftier possessions or achievement, nor do they have a desire to create complication in their day to day routine. Perhaps it is used in other regions as well for the purpose of giving a collective description of one's approach to life, yet regardless of location, it is utilized to minimize convolution of thought. I have grown up with the mindset that these are the people to covet. They are happy and unbothered by life. They tend to be avoiding of the catastrophes that are often created by chaotic schedules and obligations. The simple man does not place themselves on a path that would lead to stress therefore seemingly healthy for the most part. So this approach is the right way to live, right?

Proverbs 7 describes the plight of the simple. Simplicity is meant here to describe those who are without goal, ambition, or direction. Just living life day to day in a state of vulnerability. Our author, who beseeched the Lord to be blessed with great wisdom, explains that simplicity is a reflection of one who lacks judgment. The greater concentration of the passage is emphasizing the necessity to stray from adultery and the temptation that lurks out in the world. Yet, the overall theme is avoiding temptation that causes you to stray from a life of wisdom and honor and integrity. In order to have wisdom, you must pursue it, possess it, and practice it. Those who exercise a simple life are not necessarily living a life that is in great disobedience to the Lord. Yet, they are creating more chaso than they are actually intending to do by their efforts to avoid struggles and strife.

Sometimes simplicity is not actually efforts to keep life from experiencing difficulty. It is avoidance of the effort needed in order to create safety and security. By pursuing wisdom, we are better able to combat the temptations that are presented to us. Simplicity cannot protect us from all temptation. Idleness can get to us all regardless of where we are. Even if you are a hermit, you can be wasteful of your time - a sign of poor judgment. Your overall health and well-being is improved with the basic steps of developing goals and ambition. This is not to say that everyone should have a day planner and mark each minute with scheduled activity, nor is this to say that each person is to pursue higher education and possess a doctorate in some field. It is ambitious to clean your house. It is ambitious to accomplish errands. It is ambitious to read a book from cover to cover. Like adultery, many different temptations lurk out in society trying to rob us of wisdom and to manipulate our understanding. If we are not developing our knowledge of what is good, what is pure, and what is noble, than we will be easily swayed into what is unworthy.

This battle is different for each of us and the enemy is aware of where we are weak. If we are not attempting to alter our weakened state, than we will be taken under without even realizing it. It is no different than training for physical well being. When you fail to work out or train for a certain period of time, your body will adjust to the absence of that training. I am a runner/jogger. When I do not run for a few days, my body is very responsive to this absence of training and it causes me great discomfort in many ways - even my mental state.

Being simple is not always best. Being complicated is not always best. Being too consumed with making the right decision and leading a life of stress and anxiety is the other extreme from simple and it is in no way a reflection of a life honoring to God either. So don't see my challenge today as a push for the other side of the spectrum. Wisdom also encourages discernment and with discernment comes balance and trust in the Lord.

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