Cautiousness In Faith

Cautiousness – Essential for Today

By Rev. Dr. Roger Braun, Retired Methodist Minister, guest columnist

The Character of Cautiousness is found in both the Old and New Testaments. Altogether, it is used 27 times. Nine of those times by Jesus. “Be cautious of false prophets,” said Jesus in Matthew 7:15. “Be cautious of the Scribes and Pharisees,” said Jesus in Mark 12:38. “Be cautious of covetousness,” said Jesus in Luke 12:15. Cautiousness is important in being a disciple of Jesus. As for today, cautiousness is a vital characteristic. Since the advent of the computer and social media, our society is exploding with scams and deceptive lies. It is important for our own mental and emotional, and spiritual health to be cautious with all that we encounter.

I wanted a very specific and rare urn for my dearly departed wife’s ashes. As soon as I went on the internet searching for it, I received several messages back from strangers saying they had just what I was looking for. I couldn’t believe the low prices they were asking. Because it was so important to me, I had become emotionally obsessed with it, and I overlooked the obvious “red flags.” I lost my money; I was scammed; I was lied to. It was my own fault. I had ignored my cautiousness. Yet, I was blessed, for I only lost some money and my dignity. Other people have lost much more. In today’s social media world, we all must remain cautious, for there are so many untruths and greed out in the world.

Has anything like my experience happened to you? Use that experience and learn from it. Do you know someone who has been a victim of hearsay or gossip on social media? Only believe what you can confirm. Are you upset by all the conflicting news that is reported as truth? Check the facts for yourself. After all, Jesus encouraged His disciples to be cautious. Today, a disciple has to be doubly cautious so as not to be led astray. Cautiousness is essential today.

The Links below will take you to Resources you can use in a Christian Faith Based setting
to encourage the Character Quality of Cautiousness.

Cautiousness Poster

Cautiousness Prayer

Our other Pillars have resources that can be adapted for use in a Christian setting.

Visit Cautiousness in the Community>>

Quotes
Character All Month Calendar
Related Qualities
Character Holiday Activities
Family Activity (with a printable for sending home to parents)