Proverbs 30:2
“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.”
There are four main characters in the Book of Proverbs whom God addresses. Those characters are the wise, simple, scorner and foolish. Everyone starts out as a simple person. Your goal ought to be to move from simple to wise, but if you don’t take the right actions, you will become the foolish or the scorner.
I recently had a young man ask me what God meant by calling someone “simple.” I told him that it is like a blank piece of paper. That blank piece of paper is innocent and has no information, but what you write on that piece of paper can determine whether you become wise.
Solomon said in the verse above, “Surely I am more brutish than any man,…” This statement is amazing when you consider that Solomon was considered one of the wisest men who ever lived. The word “brutish” means ignorant or untaught. He was saying that there were times when he was a simple person who had not been taught what to do. He goes on in this chapter and shows what to do so that the right information is written on that blank sheet of paper called your life.
First, when you are simple, acknowledge God. In verse 4, Solomon addressed the greatness of God. When you don’t know what to do in life, you would be wise to look up to God. Whatever you do, don’t exclude God from your life. When you’re life is simple, that is a very important time when God should be prevalent in all you do. Acknowledge God early when your life is simple, and it will run off the bad characters who will cause you to write the wrong things on the blank pages of your life. If you start out in the beginning acknowledging God, then you’ll acknowledge Him when your sheet of paper is filled with godly information.
Second, follow God’s Word when you are simple. Verse 5 shows us the importance of every Word of God. When you are simple, spend much time studying God’s Word so that you’ll know how to act and what to say in every situation. It is only in God’s Word that will you find what to write on the blank pages of your life.
Third, remove wrong acquaintances when you are simple. Verse 8 shows us the importance of removing the wrong influences. What you allow to influence you will highly determine what you write on the pages of your life. Don’t spend time with the wrong people, and you won’t have the wrong information to write on the pages of your life.
Fourth, do what you know is right to do. God says in verse 8, “…feed me with food convenient for me:” This is doing what you’re supposed to do. You may be simple in an area, but be sure to do what you know is right to do.
Last, don’t blame others for your mistakes. Verse 10 says, “Accuse not a servant unto his master,…” Don’t become one who doesn’t take responsibility for your actions when you do wrong. Simple people become foolish people when they don’t take responsibility for their actions. If you make a mistake, then step up to the plate and acknowledge it. This will help you correct what you’ve done wrong.
We all are simple every time we start a new endeavor in life. Whether that endeavor is adulthood, marriage, home, career or a ministry, be careful what you write on the pages of your life. Become wise in these areas by writing the right things on the pages of your life when you are in the simple stage.