The Mines of King Solomon (part 20)

An elderly widow goes to her local supermarket. It's nothing special because she shops there a lot, but this day won't be like any other. As she pushes her shopping cart down the aisles, a well-dressed gentleman comes up to her, shakes her hand and says, “Congratulations! They have won. You are our thousandth customer and that's why you won one thousand euros!” The little elderly lady is overjoyed. “Yes,” he says, “and if you want to increase your profit, all you have to do is give me 1400 euros – for the handling fees – and your profit will increase to 100.000 euros.” What a gift! The 70-year-old grandmother does not want to miss this wonderful opportunity and says: "I don't have that much money with me, but I can quickly go home and get it". “But that's a lot of money. Would you mind if I accompany you to your home to make sure you are safe?” asks the Lord.

She thinks for a moment, but then agrees - after all, she is a Christian and God would not let anything bad happen. The man is also very respectful and well-mannered, which she liked. They go back to her apartment, but it turns out that she doesn't have enough money at home. "Why don't we go to your bank and withdraw the money?" he offers her. "My car is right around the corner, it won't be long." She agrees. At the bank she withdraws the money and gives it to the gentleman. "Congratulations! give me a moment I'll go and get your check from the car.” I certainly don't have to tell you the rest of the story.

It's a true story - the elderly lady is my mother. You shake your head in astonishment. How could she be so gullible? Every time I tell this story, there is someone who has already had a similar experience.

All shapes and sizes

Most of us have ever received an e-mail, text message or phone call to congratulate us on a win. All we have to do to win the prize is to share our credit card information. Such frauds come in all shapes, colors and sizes. As I write these words, a TV ad offers a miracle diet that promises a flat stomach within days. A pastor encourages his congregation to eat grass so that they are closer to God, and a group of Christians prepares once again for the return of Christ.

Then there's chain mail: "If you forward this email to five people within the next five minutes, their lives will be instantly enriched in five ways." or "If you don't forward this email to ten people right away, you're out of luck for ten years."

Why do people fall victim to such rip-offs? How can we become more judgmental? Solomon helps us with this in Proverbs 14,15: “A fool believes everything; but a wise man watches his step.” Being ignorant has to do with how we approach a situation and life in general.

We can trust too much. We can be impressed by the appearance of people. We can be very honest and trust others to be honest with us. A translation of the passage puts it this way: "Don't be stupid and believe everything you hear, be wise and know where you are going". Then there are the Christians who believe that if they have enough faith in God, all will be for their own good. Faith is good, but believing in the wrong person can be a disaster.

I recently saw a poster outside a church that said:
“Jesus came to take away our sins, not our minds.” Wise people think. Jesus Himself said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12,30).

Take time

There are other factors that need to be taken into account: an overconfidence in the ability to understand things, to judge things and of course greed also plays a big part. Sometimes gullible people make rash decisions and don't think about the consequences. “It will be too late next week. Then someone else will have it, even though I wanted it so badly. “The planning of an industrious brings abundance; but he who acts too hastily will fail” (Proverbs 2 Cor1,5).

How many difficult marriages begin with a partner who urges others to marry faster than he or she wanted? Not to be gullible with Salomon's solution is to take the time to look at and rethink everything before making a decision:

  • Think things through before acting. Too many people trust logically sounding ideas as logically thought-out ideas.
  • Ask questions. Ask questions that go below the surface and help them understand.
  • Searching for help. “Where there is no wise advice, the people perish; but where there are many counselors, there is help” (Proverbs 11,14).

Important decisions are never easy. There are always hidden profound aspects below the surface that need to be found out and considered. We need other people who support us with their experience, expertise and practical help.

by Gordon Green


pdfThe Mines of King Solomon (part 20)