An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Proud to Be a Prude

(Proverbs 12:23 KJV)  A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

We all want to be considered “prudent” (6175), right?  Maybe not.  Too often we allow our understanding of a word to be molded by the whims of our culture instead of the intent of our savior.  When we hear “prudent” we think “prude.”  I was accused of being a prude this week.  Was it because I buttoned the top button of my shirt, always wore long sleeves and got embarrassed talking to women?  No, it was because I said I did not agree with homosexual marriage.  Unknown to them my critics had stumbled on the true meaning of the word.

If you follow this word through Proverbs you find that it is usually juxtaposed with two other personality types:  The fool and the naive.  To be prudent means to be crafty, shrewd and sensible.  It does not mean being withdrawn and afraid of expressing yourself.

So?  Be a prude.  Embrace the compliment.  Our ways are not to be the ways of the rest of the world.  Do something they would think is stupid today. 

2 comments:

Manturity said...

Great post! I love a good word challenge. People don't take the time today to understand the real definitions..

Pumice said...

Thank you George.

Manturity,

I have always wondered why people are not willing to do a little digging. Sometimes I think they are afraid they might find something they don't want to hear.

Grace and peace.