Proverbs 2
Discretion will protect you, v11
I am not sure if pretending to be dead on the battlefield makes for a good soldier. But this is what cowardly Falstaff does in Shakespeare’s Henry IV. Prince Hal assumes Falstaff is dead and leaves the stage. If only Shakespeare had written that Falstaff turned to the audience and winked then it would have helped us seen what he said as surely a joke: “The better part of Valour, is Discretion …” He was saying for him, the best part of courage is caution.
However, I am also not sure throwing caution to the wind is the best policy either. Though every Saturday I try and watch the football highlights and invariably some pundit is encouraging a team to do just that if they are going to win the game. What I do remember is 1995 when Frank Bruno was battered and bruised by Mike Tyson in his last ever boxing fight. What went wrong? Afterwards Bruno said this, “I just threw caution to the wind, I just wanted to throw punches, to knock him out.” Not the best of policies! As our famous English poet, John Milton wrote in 1667: On my experience, Adam, freely taste; And fear of death deliver to the winds. Milton refers to the temptation of Adam and Eve in that they acted with such carelessness that fear of the consequence was not present. Still today, all around our cities and towns we see the lack of fear causing trouble and heartache.
Maybe today we should do both?
Improve our discretion. Be careful with our words, decisions and plans. To try and understand what is right, just and fair in a situation. To slow down for a moment before we jump.
But also, to throw our discretion on to the wind of God, to what the Holy Spirit is doing. Looking to Him for the guidance over our decisions. To let Him live through us.
Discretion within the Spirit is your defence. Let Wisdom/God “enter your heart.” v10.
Missions Paul 