Be As Wise as Serpent

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

As much as Christians can be holy and true there is always that perception of being gullible which hangs around our necks. Gullible meaning we seem like a people who everyone can take advantage of or people that are not in touch with what is going on in the world always seeming to be the irrelevant ones or rather the simple ones. Clinging to the gospel, so easy to use, poor, quiet and just plain ordinary to step on. Jesus said be wise as serpents yet we never seem to dwell on that instruction to understand what it means. He certainly did not say be serpents but he did refer to the wisdom of the serpent as being necessary. In this wisdom the serpent though greatly disadvantaged in terms of mobility, it does survive even under the harshest conditions. Even though lacking a clear voice the serpent has perfected its inability to speak to a sound which is familiar and feared by all. If not feared at least it gets everyone’s attention. Even when deaf the serpent still finds a way of sensing things around and still gets around as if it hears all and understands. Ever wondered why the serpents always seems laid back without wanting to attract too much attention as much as the lion would or perhaps why the serpent would shed its skin after a while or two as it moves on.

Now, nowhere in the Bible does it say because you are now Christian, be stupid, if anything it gets you ready for war and asks you to be as wise as one of the most dangerous animals, the serpent at the same time being, as harmless as the dove. Serpents are the most practical animals you will ever meet. The serpent is aware of its disadvantages such as lack of a voice, lack of proper mobility and everything else. Knowing this the serpent knows when to attack and when to hide, when to hiss and when not to hiss, when to seem dangerous and when to seem harmless, when to flee and when to advance, where to live and where not to live, when to bite and when to coil around a victim, when to bask in the sun and when to go underground. The serpent knows how to look dangerous and how not to even be seen, when to attack and not be seen and when to be seen and then attack. The serpent is a creature of intense wisdom because if it is not wise it would be one of the first creatures to go extinct. It knows which ground to use and which not to use when moving. Knows its greatest enemies and its least enemies. Has perfected the art of being mystical not giving too much away.

Now Christians need to learn how to be wise and practical otherwise you are just going to be so simple people take advantage of you. If you are not wise people will kill you before your time. If you are not wise you will move on the wrong ground and never really advance in life. If you do not perfect your talk people will think you cannot speak. If you do not build an impression people will build one for you. If you do not learn how to attack you will always be attacked. If you do not learn how to bite, when it is time to bite you will die. Did not Jesus hide himself from people when they wanted to kill him before his time, did he not avoid Jerusalem for quite some time? Did Christ not overturn tables in the temple? Did he not perfect his voice so that the Pharisees would know he was serious? Did he not tongue lash the Pharisees? If Christ was this practical why not us? Why do we act like the world should all of a sudden give us what we want because we are Christian? Let us wakeup. Be Wise but don’t be selfish, be wise but don’t be inconsiderate, be wise but don’t be full of hate. Let love guide you. Be wise as serpents but harmless as doves.

Winston is the author of several books. His breakthrough book was “You Have All Been Fooled”, a book about power, ability, and sheer determination in life. Winston’s books are available on the following
You Have All Been Fooled at Amazon
You Have All Been Fooled at Author’s Page
Four Reasons Why Absolute World Peace is Impossible With Humans
The Spark of Life, Success and Relationships
The Book of Revelation Series