This chapter has a theme contrasting those who are wise / prudent against those who are not.
“The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” (v1, 15-16, 18, 29)
Have you heard the sayings “fools rush in” or “haste makes waste”? These commonly indicate that someone who acts / speaks recklessly will likely fail at it. This chapter reinforces that idea. Though speed is not inherently bad, when it’s paired with carelessness / thoughtlessness / recklessness it becomes a bad thing.
Why is it important to take our time, think things through, and then speak / act wisely? Our Jesus / God behaves in this way. God is never careless / thoughtless / reckless. Why would God make ‘self control’ a fruit of the Spirit, if it wasn’t important for us to have it?
The speed at which God acts is impressive (He created the entire known universe in 6 days), yet He has the advantage of unlimited power and understanding. We humans need additional time to process, contemplate, pray, and think things through properly, before we speak or act (well, at least I do).
I encourage us to lean on God’s Spirit for self control and guidance. We may slow down a little if we take the proper time to do / say something, however, the time we save in the long run will more than make up for it. For example, how long does it take to mend relationships which are broken by thoughtless words / actions? Far more time than it takes to choose our words / actions carefully – I speak from experience.
Father God, our Glorious and Wise King, we praise Your holy name. You have blessed us with many things, including the indwelling Spirit who grows Your fruit within us. May we learn to seek Your guidance, and water that fruit, so we may honor You with our words and actions. We thank You in the name of Jesus our Savior, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training