Question 1

What are some areas in which I should be cautious?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 23:11“So be very careful to love the Lord your God.”2 Kings 17:37“Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods.”Hebrews 3:12Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.Be cautious to not let anything distract you from devotion to God—loving him with all your heart, soul, and strength. Be obedient to him and cultivate a heart of faith.Deuteronomy 4:9“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.”Deuteronomy 6:12“Be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.”Deuteronomy 8:11“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees.”Take care to remember all God has done for you and for others in the past so you don’t become proud and forget to rely on him for your future.Hebrews 2:1So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.2 John 1:9-10Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement.Be cautious that you don’t wander away from the truth. Focus on the teaching in Scripture and listen to godly teachers. When you don’t focus on the road as you drive, you are in danger of drifting off and putting your life in danger. In the same way, when you don’t focus on the road clearly mapped out for you in God’s Word, you are in danger of drifting off God’s path for you.Leviticus 18:4“You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.”Deuteronomy 12:28, 32“Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God. . . . So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.”Luke 6:47-49“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”Be careful to obey God, for he alone can save you. To protect yourself from sin and its consequences, follow the commandments and instructions in God’s Word.Mark 14:38“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”1 Corinthians 10:12-13If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.Galatians 6:1Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.1 Peter 5:8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.Be cautious in areas of temptation. Satan is constantly on the attack, trying to tempt you to sin against God. You will give in from time to time—every human does. But caution will cause you to be aware of when you are giving in so that you can recognize it, admit it, and correct it. When you throw caution to the wind, you give into temptation at every whim, and you are in danger of being completely ineffective for God.Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.Philippians 4:6-7Pray about everything. . . . Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.Guard your heart—it is the center of your desires and affections. Your heart is especially vulnerable because it is easily swayed by emotion and sometimes is not rational. If you are caught up with emotion, your heart will urge you to do whatever it takes to keep those feelings alive, even if those actions will lead you to do something that could destroy you.Psalm 37:21The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.Proverbs 11:15There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt; it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.Proverbs 22:7Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Be cautious in handling money—borrowing, lending, and spending. More than almost anything in life, the love of money can damage your relationships and compromise your values.Proverbs 12:5The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.Proverbs 15:5, 22Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. . . . Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.Proverbs 20:18Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.2 Chronicles 22:4He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as Ahab’s family had done. They even became his advisers after the death of his father, and they led him to ruin.Galatians 6:1If another believer is overcome by some sin, . . . help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.Be cautious when giving and receiving counsel. Receiving godly advice makes you wiser; giving the wrong advice can cause others to stumble.1 Corinthians 6:12You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.1 Corinthians 8:8-9It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. . . . But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.Ephesians 5:15So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.Be careful to make wise life choices, for they will determine your success or failure.Psalm 39:1I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.”Proverbs 15:28The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.Proverbs 21:23Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.James 3:6-8Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue.Be cautious with your words; they are more powerful than you may think. They have the power to build others up or tear them down, to get you into serious trouble, or to make peace.Proverbs 25:8-10Don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat? When arguing with your neighbor, don’t betray another person’s secret. Others may accuse you of gossip, and you will never regain your good reputation.Proverbs 29:8, 11Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger. . . . Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.Romans 12:18Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.Be cautious when handling conflict. Quick anger might cause you to say or do things you’ll regret. The wise person stays calm, holds back, and seeks reconciliation.Exodus 34:12“Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.”Proverbs 12:26The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.Proverbs 14:7Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.Romans 16:17Now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.2 Corinthians 6:14Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?2 Timothy 3:5They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!2 Thessalonians 3:6Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.Be careful in choosing your personal relationships. Some people help you become a better person; some do just the opposite. Consider how your thoughts and behavior are influenced by various types of people. Be sure that those in your closest circle are people who help you draw closer to God and maintain your integrity.

Question 2

How can I get hurt by not using caution?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 14:16The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.Proverbs 19:2Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.Proverbs 22:3A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.Not being cautious can cause you to overlook possible consequences—either long term or short term—of your actions. Being hasty and not seeking wisdom can send you in the wrong direction with destructive consequences.

Question 3

Can I be too cautious?

Accepted Answer

Ecclesiastes 10:9When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.Joshua 3:13-17“The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.” . . . It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water above that point began backing up . . . Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.Psalm 91:5-6Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.Life is filled with risks. If you never take any risks, you might miss out on God’s plan for you. However, it takes wisdom to know when God is asking you to take a risk. As noted above, never be hasty and always ask for advice from godly people. You can be too cautious when you let fear control you to the point where any risk seems too great. When you move forward in obedience to God, you experience the privilege of watching him work through you.

Question 4

How do I best blend risk and caution?

Accepted Answer

Judges 7:10-15“If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.” . . . Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. . . . His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!” When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”Fear keeps you from taking risks. Caution keeps you from risking too much. The first step in balancing risk with caution is to identify what exactly is making you afraid to take the risk and then confirming whether or not that fear is legitimate. It is surprising how often your fears have no basis. Gideon was cautious about battling the powerful armies, but God showed him that the risk would be worth it. Be wise, be prayerful, listen to good advice, and don’t let your fears or worries take over. Seek God. He will show you the way he wants you to go.Proverbs 27:12A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.Nehemiah 4:12-23The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!” So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. . . . we all returned to our work on the wall. But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. . . . We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.Nehemiah anticipated the obstacles to his work of rebuilding the wall and carefully planned for various contingencies. Following God and taking risks doesn’t mean rushing headlong without any planning. God expects you to be wise, even as you move ahead into unknown territory.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Proverbs 14:15Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.Proverbs 21:5Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.Proverbs 24:27Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.You will never be a success or fulfill any dreams if you don’t take the first step. Don’t let fear of making a mistake paralyze you. Prayerfully consider what you want to do, plan how you will do it, and then move ahead with God’s guidance.