Wisdom and Prudence

Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. (Proverbs 2:9-15 ESV).

 

The Scripture often combines the qualities of wisdom and discretion (or prudence). Our reading today is particularly broad in the description of the person who can gain both, as well as the one who does not gain either. Of course, all of us occasionally says the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time. Our typical reflection after such an awkward situation is “If only I had a chance to do this all over again, I think I could get it right, this time.” The problem is a alpse in prudence, or discretion.

 

The problem is usually a simply lack of understanding as to what prudence really means. The dictionary defines prudence as “the quality of being discreet.” And to be discreet means to be “wise or judicious in avoiding mistakes or faults; prudent; circumspect; cautious; not rash.” In other words, discretion is exercising judgment tempered with these attributes in order to arrive at a final decision or outcome. Prudence means “cautious, practical wisdom; good judgment; discretion; exercising caution in preparing for the future in a judicious manner.”

 

The fact that discretion will preserve you (v. 11) makes it a precious commodity. One of the things that discretion will deliver you from is “the way of an evil man who speaks foul language (v. 12); and, the following verses show that such a man “walks in darkness and delights in wickedness” (vv. 15-19). One who has discretion has the courage and resolve to stand up to such a person, and insist, “No, the direction in which you are headed in life is not the path that I choose to follow.” All too often, aimlessly following the crowd results in destruction. Group mentality often borders on mob mentality, especially among those who seek the approval of their peers. Think of discretion as guardrails on each side of the road, keeping one from plummeting off a dangerous embankment to an untimely death. Better yet, compare it to a blinking light cautioning that a bridge is out or that the road is obstructed. Discretion can be your internal warning system that serious potential danger is just ahead. The only way to get this quality is through a relationship with Christ that has been steeped in the reading and meditating in the Scripture. Review your habit of exposure to the Bible.