When is it prudent to let caution triumph over glory? When is it OK to go for glory in spite of the cautions?
Proverbs 27:12 says, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished.” and
Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.”
So do we always have to hide ourselves to be prudent? If we pass on and do it anyway,
Danger on the trail
are we always considered simple? Like everything else, it depends on the situation, and of course, hearing from God. In my post, 7 Qualities of a Pioneer, I talk about the way a pioneer mindset approaches this issue.
In this excerpt from the book From Woodstock To Eternity, Dustin Morgan approaches the issue from the mindset of a hippie pot dealer.
Many conflicting emotions hit Morgan at once. The thrill of being involved in a new level of pot dealing is quickly clouded by a dose of reality that the stakes are higher now. The sweet success of dealing has always had that twinge of “what happens if I get caught?” And, the bigger the volume, the bigger the twinge.
Do I really want to get in this deep? He ponders it for a second. The conclusion is inevitable. He’ll always wonder what would have happened if he doesn’t. The next level is always a blind leap. You’ll never know until you try. The question is, do you have the guts to try, or is caution going to triumph over glory?
“You bet, brother. Let’s do it.”
Some steps for a prudent man to consider about caution:
- Known cautions should always be weighed against the potential rewards. If the roads are glazed over with freezing rain and snow, you don’t really need to go to the store for the soda pop and chips. If the neighborhood is known as a high crime area, don’t let your single daughter get an apartment there because it is cheap.
- Cautions may or may not happen like they are advertised. Many pioneers made it out West in spite of the Indians, rattlesnakes and weather. Most people who fly make it safely, while those who refuse to fly are sure they will crash.
- Too much emphasis on caution can result in fear ruling your life. A life ruled by fear never reaches its full potential.
- Too much emphasis on glory can result in bad things happening. A life of constantly ignoring cautions can lead to destruction. Morgan’s insistence upon pursuing the drug dealing lifestyle landed him in jail, and almost took away his freedom for a very long time.
jailhouse blues
- Sometimes the situation requires us to disregard all caution, because the cause is so desperate. A normally overly cautious mother will lay down her life for her child. A soldier in combat must face enemy fire in order to defeat him.
- Known cautions may be indicators of unknown consequences. Morgan got away with many of his drug runs, and thought he had beat the caution of getting caught. However, the caution not to do it was an indicator that there were other, unseen dangers: Deteriorating character, increased drug use do due increased money, a distorted view of the world based on his temporary prosperity. This leads to the next point:
- Sometimes we can’t identify what it is that we are cautious about. This is called a “check” in the spirit. You know you shouldn’t do it, you just don’t know why.
- We should always check with the Lord and pray for direction, no matter what the decision is.