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Topic: Shrewdness (03/07/05)
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TITLE: Shrewdness (i) | Previous Challenge Entry
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Shrewdness, in the modern sense, and in which we will discuss here, describes an attribute of ‘cleverness’ and ‘sagaciousness’. A shrewd person is one who possesses a discerning awareness.
That disclaimer being mentioned, we are now liberated to see this ‘shrewdness’ from a Christian point of view. Is it a desirable attribute as far as Christian counter-culture is concerned? Does it contradict the Beatitudes values of meekness, humility and poorness in spirit?
More importantly, does the Word of God teaches and encourages shrewdness? A glance at the parable by Jesus in Luke 16 says it does! Here our Lord teaches a difficult passage about the commendation of a ‘shrewd manager’. And He encourages the children of light to behave likewise.
This is easily misinterpreted as a license from God for us to behave selfishly and have no regard for moral laws. But a careful reading of Luke 16 tells us that we are to be shrewd with those things that have been entrusted to us, remembering them as from the Lord.
It is also a shrewdness that is preceded by trustworthiness. We must therefore be careful that it does not mutate into a self-serving tool to enrich ourselves by whatever means.
That is, we need to be shrewd in being shrewd.
Fallen world that we are in, we are mired in a swamp of sin and deceptions. Christians ought to navigate shrewdly lest we be ensnared. Our talents, gifts and time must be directed towards God. And when pressure from the world beckons, limiting our resources and we find ourselves torn between serving God and ourselves, we remember that our Lord asks us to be shrewd.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10 NIV
Understandably, the Lord of Wisdom desires that His children be wise. We live in a world of distractions. Strong winds of influence blow from every direction to sway us from our walk with God. Therefore we need to utilize every ounce of guile and wit to ensure our stores of treasure in heaven is safe, lest we succumb to temptation to abandon them. All the more in this age of false messiahs and unbiblical prophecies, we must possess a sharp acumen to perceive things as they really are and render sound judgment.
Jesus taught us about being shrewd in a more direct way when He said:
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 NIV
How can the sheep be as snakes and as doves? When the Holy Spirit sanctifies a Christian, the new child of God is not stripped of his ‘old self’ but not wisdom. He needs insight now all the more to fight his new battle against the ‘flesh’ and other ‘principalities’.
Recognizing now the need to be shrewd, how are we to acquire this holy shrewdness? Is it possible to maintain both innocence and shrewdness and not falling into either extremes?
To thread carefully upon sound doctrine, we have to once again, lean back upon the Lord’s word.
King David sings;
“To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.” Psalms 18:26 NIV
In other words, to the humble He dispenses His grace freely, but to the proud He is calculative and judges their every sin.
Therefore, even as we grapple precariously with our ordained roles as doves and snakes, we can bask in comfort in knowing that we are not alone. Our Protector is with us. He has not commissioned us to acquire an alien characteristic. Just as we were created in His image, our attributes, however dimmed, reflect that of Our Father, and vice versa.
Thus, knowing shrewdness is a tool commanded by Our Lord to utilise fully in our service to Him, we must allow the Holy Spirit to mould it in us so that at the end of this difficult but temporal journey of life, we shall reap a bountiful harvest and joyfully carry our produce to our eternal rest, in heaven with the Lover of our souls.
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Thanks for your insight.
I think what is hard in today's world is figuring who the crooked ones are! A very well written piece.