SEPTEMBER 23

Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep

Proverbs 3:21-26

WE DON’T HEAR MUCH about common sense these days, certainly not as much as when I was growing up. It’s too bad. Common sense is needed now more than ever. Our high-tech, politically correct, media-crazed, and selfie-obsessed society could leave the impression that all we need to do to achieve success is choose the right phone, tweet inspiring clichés, and strike just the right pose for our latest post. Unfortunately, life’s knotty issues require more action. The really tough decisions are better made through in-person discussions and not online. They require a mixture of clear thinking, objective reasoning, calm and patient musing, a bit of risk, a measure of creative brooding, and some careful maneuvering through the minefield of strict rules and hard-and-fast principles. Our Internet selves often sit at one end of divisive issues, but leaving that virtual world for face-to-face understanding softens our rigid opinions. Without this essential “flex,” common sense cannot survive. Consider Solomon’s wise perspective:

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

PROVERBS 3:21-26

I suggest we embrace the two essentials Solomon mentions: common sense and discernment. Nobody can argue with the former, but it’s the latter that balances things out. If you are a parent, I encourage you to teach your children a lesson or two about these often forgotten virtues.