“Trouble, trouble—always trouble!”
What’s your problem, friend?
“You know—if it isn’t the car breaking down, it’s the kids needing new shoes—or something. Never seems to end—trouble is endemic!”
Of course, there’s plenty of trouble—Adam brought that on us. But you don’t have to step into it all the time, everywhere.
“Oh, yeah? Tell me how I can avoid it?”
Do you mind if I let the writer of Proverbs 27:12 do so instead?
“Sure—let him speak.”
A sensible person spots trouble and lies low;
naïve persons continue on and suffer for it.
Get it?
“Not sure.”
Let me explain. Since there is so much trouble, it’s stupid not to be on the lookout for it. To simply run smack into it, unaware of its presence, when you could have anticipated it, makes no sense.
Sensible people avoid much of the trouble that the naïve suffer.
Take your car—did you have it serviced regularly?
“I guess not.”
Then, it’s possible that you brought that trouble on yourself. Right?
“Maybe.”
The kids’ new shoes—you didn’t know they would need them when you let them tramp through the creek with them on—thought it was cute at the time?
“Well . . .”
Look. Since this is a world full of trouble, it only makes sense to spot the possibility of trouble and steer clear of it. You can’t avoid all of it, but there is a lot of trouble you can if you work at it.
The writer also has another thing in mind—simply lying low and letting it go by. You don’t have to become embroiled in other people’s problems when they don’t concern you. Moreover, if you see trouble on the horizon, take a trip. Get out of Dodge! Got it?
“Yeah. Stop being naïve!”
Books related to handling trouble:
- How to Handle Trouble by Jay Adams
- Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
- The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
Check out our online course, Counseling Problems taught by Donn Arms!
The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams
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