Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,    but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. - Proverbs 28:26

Our verse for today makes a distinction between the person who trusts his own mind and the person who walks in wisdom. To use the terminology of the Apostle Paul, one might say that Proverbs 28:26 is referring to the distinction between the mind governed by the flesh and the mind governed by the Spirit (Romans 8:6).

"Flesh" is Paul's metaphor for the sinful spiritual state of human beings. A mind governed by the flesh is a mind governed by the sinful spiritual state of an individual person. Instead of using the mind in service to God, the flesh uses it in the service of its own sinful self. As Paul goes on to say in Romans: "the mind governed by the flesh is death" (Romans 8:6). This is because the mind of the flesh leads people to oppose God and the things of God (Romans 8:7). Our Proverbs verse says that anyone who trusts his own mind, that is, who trusts his own mind in service to the flesh, is a fool. After all, opposition to God can only end badly for us.

"He who walks in wisdom," in contrast, walks in accordance with a mind governed by the Spirit. Instead of using the mind in service to the sinful spiritual state, the Spirit uses it in service to God. As Paul also goes on to say in Romans: "the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6). This is because the mind governed by the Spirit leads people to obey God and the things of God. Instead of opposition to God there is peace with God and life from God. Our Proverbs verse says that anyone who walks in wisdom, that is, who walks in the wisdom born of the Spirit of God, will be delivered. After all, obedience to God can only end well for us.

We have a choice to make. We can trust the thinking of our own minds governed by our sinful selves, or we can walk in the wisdom born from minds governed by the Spirit of God. With the first option we get to do things our own way, but the end result is death. With the second option we must humbly submit to the leading of the Spirit, but the end result is life.

The choice is ours.