LEARN TO THINK LIKE A SNAKE!
by Pastor Lem Niere
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”
Matthew 10:16
In this verse, Jesus commands us (His disciples) to be “wise as serpents.” The word “wise” is the Greek word pronimos, which means prudent, careful, cunning, discerning, thoughtful, intelligent or sensible. This word perfectly describes the behaviour and actions of snakes. They are very careful, discerning and prudent in how they act.
There is something Jesus wants us to learn from the behaviour of snakes, and how it applies to all of us regarding our families, ministries and church business, or any opportunity God places before us in life. If you are squeamish about snakes like I do, just stay with me for a few moments to get the full impact of what Jesus is telling us. Remember, Jesus is the One who chose to use a serpent to make an important point. Let’s consider the behaviour of snakes and see how this relates to us being “wise” in the way we live our lives and conduct our ministry or church work.
First, when snakes first move into a new territory, they don’t announce their presence. Instead, they lay low, stay quiet, and blend into the environment. In fact, you can walk right past a snake and not even realize it! Snakes have the ability to be nearly invisible. They are designed to be camouflaged. This serves as a protective covering. That camouflage gives the serpent latitude to move about freely as it finds its way around.
As snakes evaluate a new situation, they see what kind of opportunities are in the area. The identify “hiding places” to protect themselves from attack. They observe to see where they can find the easiest prey. When all these facts are assimilated, the snake is ready to act. But this “settling-in” period is important. And Jesus said there is wisdom in a serpent’s behaviour from which we need to learn.
Serious mistakes are avoidable when moving to a new environment. You need to take your time and be sure of the actions you take before you act.
Second, serpents are wise enough to know when to seize the moment and strike!Knowing when to actin as important as knowing when to lie low. When prey passes before a snake, it knows it’s time to strike! If it waits too long, the opportunity will pass by quickly.
I have seen pastors and church workers pray and pray for divine opportunities to come. They fast, pray, and wait for the golden opportunity. Then a great opportunity stands directly in front of them. Time to act. But rather than seize the moment—they pause to pray just a little bit longer. God brought them exactly what they had been praying for, but because they hesitated, they lost the opportunity. When they finally go around to say “yes,” it was too late.
Now, you and I are not brilliant enough to figure out the right timing for everything by our own logic. The timing for our actions must be directed by the Holy Spirit. If we learn to depend on the Spirit’s leading, we will walk through many strategic doors at key moments. But it is imperative that we understand this: When He says “NOW!” it really means “NOW!” Seize the moment!
Let our prayer be: Lord, I ask you to help us to be wise (not in our own eyes), be prudent, intelligent, discerning, and sensible in the way we think and act. You see everything and know exactly what is really happening, so we lean on You to lead us in every situation. Teach us when to sit still and when to act. You are our Leader, so we look to You to lead us and help us do exactly what is right in every situation. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
