“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

Our verse for today makes a distinction between the person who trusts his own mind and the person who walks in wisdom. To use the terminology of the Apostle Paul, our verse is referring to the distinction between the mind governed by the flesh and the mind governed by the Spirit (Romans 8:6).

“Flesh” is Paul’s metaphor for the sinful nature of human beings. Instead of using the mind in service to God, the flesh uses it in the service of itself. As Paul goes on to say in Romans: “the mind governed by the flesh is death,” (Romans 8:6 NIV). This is because the mind of the flesh leads people to oppose God and the things of God (Romans 8:7). Our Proverbs verse says that anyone who trusts his own mind is a fool.

“He who walks in wisdom,” in contrast, walks in accordance with a mind governed by the Spirit. Instead of using the mind in service to the sinful nature, the Spirit uses it in service to God. As Paul also goes on to say in Romans: “the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace,” (Romans 8:6). This is because the mind governed by the Spirit leads people to obey God. Instead of opposition to God, there is peace and life from God. Our Proverbs verse says that anyone who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

We have a choice to make. We can trust the thinking of our own minds governed by our sinful nature, or we can walk in the wisdom of God. With the first option we get to do things our own way, but the end result is death. With the second option we must humbly submit to the leading of the Spirit, with the end result as life.

My friends, let us submit to God, despising folly and praying for the wisdom which will set us free.

By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International