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Monday, November 5, 2012

Simple or Wise?


Do you think it is a “left-brain vs. right-brain” thing? People choose to believe all types of lies as they vote for a candidate. It appears more like fans in a sporting contest instead of choosing the right person for the job. It seems like they are looking for similarities in looks, admiration for speech and appearances of grandeur rather that who will lead the country in the direction of prosperity.

People believe that achieving a goal will keep them ahead forever. They believe that making a certain amount of money, losing a certain amount of weight, getting a certain kind of spouse, buying a certain level of house or any of a myriad of goals will mean that they will no longer have to hope for anything again. They can’t imagine that they will have to work harder to stay at the level they achieve. It’s not hard staying at the lowest socio-economic level. It is very hard to stay at the top.

Thus, the prudent person looks at the consequences and rewards for each decision. The consequences extend into the future and cannot always be seen but the trend of making those decisions usually predicts the future. Therefore, we do not hire thieves to be bank tellers. They have had trouble keeping their hands off of other people’s money in the past. They will probably have trouble keeping their hands off of it as tellers.

Yet, people choose to believe. They adamantly defend their beliefs. Often, they have no proof for their convictions. They simply want it to be so. They want to place their faith in persons and things even when the trend it toward failure. They follow their sports team to another year saying, “Wait until next year.” Unfortunately, next year is many years away.

Of course, there are those who put their faith in persons and things with no evidence too. There is no trend because it is unknown and untested. That is why aircraft manufacturers hire test pilots. They fly the planes before they ever place the public on them. Who really would like to know that his weight was the test for the plane in which he was flying. It doesn’t  matter how many theories or formulas predict the success of the plane. It matters that this plane has been tested.

Yes, a prudent person considers his steps beyond believing in things which have no proof. He looks at the past and sees beyond the image of the person or things. He checks to see if what he sees is more than a façade.

But do you think that there are more simple or prudent individuals on the planet? I think you know the answer and this has nothing to do with their mental capabilities. More people choose not to think than to think.

Which are you? Do you look at the consequences and rewards of your decisions or do you just “go with your feelings?” I may have done this when I was younger but I can no longer jump before I look. I am working too hard to maintain what has already been achieved to waste it in a “gut feeling” moment.

Even faith has evidence when people look.

Proverbs 14:15 (NIV)
15 A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quite frankly, I cannot base my election decision on economics or a man's promise to bring prosperity. It is equally likely that either candidate will lead us into a ditch--it will just be a different ditch with different people falling into it.

I am basing my vote on which candidate is more likely to protect our freedom to serve and worship God and less likely to protect the freedom to kill babies.

It's just as simple as that, no ability to predict the future impact of economic reforms needed.

Deb

Anonymous said...

Well. The election is over and the choice has been made.

Who would have thought that the "October surprise" launched to upend the Republican would have been a hurricane and an embrace (Christie/Obama)--both of which transfixed the country and, I believe, changed the course of the election.

With that hurricane, God weighed in. And now we shall have to wait and see what happens next.

Deb