Is “Sound Judgment”An Archaic Expression?

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:21-26 NIV

As some of us get older, we appreciate hearing those who loved The Lord who were much older than we once were, praying for God to keep their minds. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, we are reminded that God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of love, and a sound mind–capable of thinking rationally and logically. Have we forgotten what that means?

Having sound judgment (backed with knowledge and understanding) means we are to slow to speak–we think before speaking, analyzing what we want to say and being mindful that what we say, once spoken, cannot be retrieved. Impulsive people–those who speak without thinking–are always back-peddling, trying to explain and every explanation makes what was said, more muddled and confused.

Though there are many things we could add to a list of viable attributes for a presidential candidate, I think the most important one would be–having a sound mind–an ability to exercise sound judgment–thinking before speaking–analyzing what they want to say and mindful of how people will interpret what is being said. Having knowledge of how government works is always a plus, but if a person has sound judgment, they can hire the ones who know more than they know.  Without sound judgment–a cabinet of fools is bound to be the outcome–leaving us all in a precarious situation.

That’s for politics–and the same is true for our everyday lives. We must exercise wisdom in all we do, if we’re to know peace–in our homes and in our communities. Reacting to situations rather than responding ignites a powder keg of tumultuous feelings that can only end up causing confusion and animosity.

So, today–and this is not a joke or prank, acknowledging the traditional trend on April 1st, this is a plea for all who know and love The Lord to exercise sound judgment in everything and especially when considering a candidate for president in November. Remember, not being a politician or being one is not an acceptable excuse for being foolish. Wisdom, Lord, Wisdom!

 

 

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Who’s Crying Now?

Then they will cry to the LORD,
But He will not hear them;
He will even hide His face from them at that time,
Because they have been evil in their deeds. Micah 3:4 NKJV

There will come a time when those who perpetuate evil, leading others astray intentionally, manipulating people and circumventing true authority will cry unto The Lord, when they refuse to obey Him.

It would appear that people–across the board–choose to ignore God and enjoy the fruits of their wickedness until the time comes when, God exposes the wickedness for what it is and the tables are turned on them. Then, with truth exposed, they call upon The Lord expecting Him to hear and answer, but as the Prophet Micah reveals–He won’t hear them.

What I’ve observed in human nature is that those who say they don’t know if there’s a god or not; don’t know whether they believe in Jesus or not, and then live any way they want to live, back-peddle quickly, when things don’t go their way. And the situation is even worse when those who say they believe God, but don’t want to obey Him. When they have caused others to cry–with their schemes and lies–they are quick to call on Jesus when life causes them to cry.

I wonder–do people really think that God does not see, cannot hear all that goes on in the earth? Do people think God is winking an eye at sin and that truth will never reign? We have in our society those who have no problem causing strife and dissension in the midst of things, but when the tables turn–oh my! “What did I do? O God, help me!”

Those who fuel drama and discord, lead people astray with lies and perpetuate nonsense leading to the deaths of others, will one day pay and we who have been watching them terrorize nation after nation, will see them exposed for who they really are–just as it came to pass when Micah was prophesying to God’s people. It’s amazing to me that those who don’t recognize truth when they see or hear it, are quick to twist their version of truth into lies and they cry–hoping others will never know who they really are.

We need not despair over the fate of those who create one dilemma after another for others. Weeping may endure for us–for a moment, but joy is coming!