Shrewd and Innocent

Shrewd and Innocent

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16

I am in the process of reviewing a manuscript for a new book that will be released this summer. The book is entitled FIGHT by Kenny Luck (Waterbrook Press). The book is designed to help men understand the seriousness of evil in our lives and how to use the weapons God has given us to fight it.

The passage I read last night was based on the passage in Matthew 10 where Jesus is sending out His disciples. Kenny Luck says, "According to Jesus, wisdom and carefulness (shrewdness) combined with virtue and integrity (innocence) would give them the ability to know what to do next and the right stuff to pull it off:

A shrewd God's man will
* take the ax to personal sin
* fiercely guard and preserve his spiritual gains
* exercise discernment in all situations impacting his relationships with God and people
* not allow negative emotions to fester and play into the enemy's plans
* possess good intelligence on his enemy
* pick his battles carefully so as not to waste energy
* cleverly de-escalate internal conflicts to bring peace
* root out diversions, distractions, and doubts that cloud issues
* act quickly and decisively when needed

An innocent God's man will
* seek to keep his heart clean before God so that he can hear HIS voice
* openly examine himself before God and man - no secrets
* hate evil and run from it if necessary to preserve his integrity
* control himself to keep polluting influences out of his relationship with God
* become increasingly unsullied by his old ways of living
* put strong boundaries in his life to prompt evil assaults
* control his thoughts and not allow any outside the will of God
* soak his mind in God's thoughts and desires
* seek aggressive accountability and use it to win his battles with evil

Brothers, this is good stuff. Print this one out and stick it in your Bible. Refer to it often. Be shrewd and innocent! It will help to finish well. - Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: 2 Kings 15-16; John 3:1-18 Think About This: Personal purity of mind, body, and devotion add up to our assurance of battlefield acuity and ability. - Kenny Luck