Don’t Be a Deer in the Headlights

(Proverbs 9:13 KJV)  A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

We cannot afford to be “simple” (naive NASB) (6615).  This is the only place this specific Hebrew word is used in the Bible but it comes from a family of words that are used more frequently, three other times in this chapter.  In some places it seems that being naive is a condition that reflects an inability to understand complex issues but often it is something that can be treated or cured.

The mental condition we need to beware of is a reluctance to see the real events in the world because we have been told to “be positive” or to “look for the best in people.”  Looking for the best in people can lead to hiring baby sitters that are perverts.  It can cause you to marry someone who is a man or woman of “folly” (3687).  It can open you up to making loans, signing contracts and committing yourself to things that will destroy you and your family.

So?  Use your mind.  Use your discernment.  If you don’t have much discernment then find someone who does and use the spiritual gift that God has given them to edify the body of which you are a part.