Mensa Otabil - The Simple and the Prudent (10/18/2025)
We’re learning wisdom from the book of Proverbs, and we’re in chapter 14; this is verse 15. The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps. This proverb makes a comparison between the simple and the prudent. Who is the simple? The word simple in this verse means childish, inexperienced, or naive; it refers to someone who is not mature enough. In other places, it also refers to someone who is lazy-someone who doesn’t make the effort to get things done. It says that the simple or the childish, inexperienced person is easily persuaded by what they hear; they believe every word.
If you tell them something is red, they believe it. You tell them the same thing is green, and they believe it. Whatever they hear, they believe. Especially in this day of social media, many of us believe everything. We believe everything that is posted on WhatsApp, everything on Facebook, and we speak of them as truth. Everything that is in the news, we consider to be true. If that’s how we look at life, then the Bible calls us simple people. The simple also believes that his way is right, and that is the wrong thing about the simple; they are childish. They believe everything, and once something sticks in their heads, they believe it’s right and don’t review it. They don’t listen to anything else because they are persuaded simply by what they have been told. They don’t have the power of self-analysis. The simple believes every word.
Then the Bible talks about the second kind of person; it calls that person the prudent. The word prudent means sensible or the person who applies common sense to life, who applies good judgment to life. The prudent is very different from the simple. The prudent is someone who thinks through what they are hearing; they are commonsensical. They judge properly and make the right calls. What does the prudent do? The passage says that they examine the path they are following; they consider well their steps. The simple will just believe everything and say it’s going to be all right, but the prudent will look at something and say, «Wait a minute, let’s think it through. Let’s apply some other principles to it. Let’s examine it; let’s look at the other side.»
That’s how the prudent makes a choice. Then they consider the consequences of their actions; they think about the effect. If I do this, what will come of it? They consider not only effects in this world but also eternal consequences. As human beings, we must not only think about earthly consequences; we must also think about eternal consequences. Where do we go when we leave this earth? What will God do with us? Where will our soul be? All of these are very important questions we have to ask, but a simple person doesn’t consider that. They live life very happily, going on with their lives, not considering where they’re going. They believe every story that they are told. The prudent, however, spends time examining what they do.
The question we all have to ask ourselves is: Are we the simple or the prudent? Are we one of those people who parrot everything that is posted on WhatsApp, or are we one of those people who would at least take the time to cross-check it, Google it, or try to find other explanations for the same thing? Many times, you realize that the information people give you is just wrong. Don’t be simple-minded; be prudent. Think about consequences more than anything else, and think about the eternal consequences of your actions.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me not to fall for lies and deception. Guide me to wisely choose my actions. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»