I have said in previous blogs that I regularly look and listen to what is going on in the world. Whether it be sports, politics, travel, business or what is referred to as human interest. More importantly though is that I spend time in God’s Word. I pray regularly and think often about what is occurring around us.
Most days I am able to balance all of that out and always know that God is on His throne and “He has the whole world in His hands”. Of course, during some of those days, I became overwhelmed at the actions, words and beliefs of some people.
I heard someone recently refer to the observation they had that people simply don’t seem to have any common sense today. Well, historically there have always been those who have lacked or at least didn’t make themselves available to use their common sense. Merriman-Webster defines common sense as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts”.
People who do not use common sense are not able to ascertain what is happening around them. Then they are not able to do the right things for themselves and others. There may be factors such as a mental condition that causes them to be unable to ascertain what is happening around them and those are not the people I am considering in this thought.
It is hard to watch people as they struggle because they have chosen not to consider all the possibilities. We all see things differently and have different people and thoughts that we have come to accept. It is over time and experience in life that we come to know and understand more. Never truly understanding it all but able to make better decisions.
This is not to conclude that we don’t all make decisions that we later find ourselves regretting. There is a line in Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” that noted “regrets, I’ve had a few but then again too few to mention”. We have things we regret, but in and of themselves they simply aren’t worth even recalling.
However, there are things which are not only remembered but can and often do have a tremendous affect on and in our life. I think about much of what is happening all around our country today. There are those who will be affected for the rest of their life because of the decisions made today. Without the use of simple common sense, they chose not to consider the situation or the facts. They accepted what someone else said as truth and without any other consideration, made a decision to do something that will have life long consequences. Yes, there are always consequences of the actions taken.
I don’t live in a fantasy world, I live in the real world. Just like you I have to make decisions everyday as to what I am going to do. What am I going to conclude from what I have heard and read? What action am I going to take going forward? Do I consider the consequences of a decision? Of course I do. So do you, or at least I hope that you use that common sense God gave you. There, I said it, common sense is a gift of God and I am grateful for it. He has given us all the ability to use “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts” to make the right decisions.
As I watch each day what is being said and done, I become less convinced that common sense is being used by many people. Wasn’t it Forrest Gump who said that “stupid is as stupid does”? Well, yes it was but that thought has been around for a long time. You see the understanding is that people do stupid things. Not because they are stupid as they may be highly intelligent people but is simply the action that makes them appear stupid. Well, actually they are because of what they did as you follow the thought to its conclusion. There are some who are graduating now that will certainly understand this truth as soon as they venture out into the world. See it is not simply the stupid action but it is what it represents.
I recently was on a social media site and there was a video that caught my eye. So I paused to watch and listen. A woman was in the video sharing a response to someone who had asked why she felt the way she did. Her response was simple but so profound. She said “I’m tired…” she then continued to tell the other person why she felt the way she felt. Because she was tired of all that was happening around her. Things needed to change because what was happening wasn’t working not only for her but for everyone. It was one of the most common sense things I had heard or read in a long time.
I hope that today you will use what the Lord has given you. Common sense “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts”.
In God’s Grace,
Elbert Nasworthy
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