See-and-Hide

“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” – Proverbs 22:3, 27:12

One game the kids never tire of is hide-and-seek, or its variant, sardines. One of their favorite things to do in new or old spaces is to ferret out the perfect hiding spot. I suppose there’s an excitement in staying hidden while someone passes you by. 

That’s the mental image I have when reading this verse. Proverbs uses the word “prudent” eight times, and it is always associated with some element of concealment. A prudent man covers shame (12:16), conceals knowledge (12:23), does not lay open his folly (13:16), and hides himself (22:3, 27:12). He makes himself unavailable for the danger.

How can I make myself unavailable for danger, for temptation or sin? The first step is to see. I can track patterns to see if there are particular physical or emotional conditions, times of day, triggers or social situations where I tend to struggle with a habitual sin. I can do an end-of-day examen or journaling session to reflect on sins in my day and what may have led to them. I can give more consideration to areas of danger that may be coming in the future.

The second step is to hide. This may mean avoiding certain movies, books, or news articles. It may mean refraining from speaking. It may mean avoiding hanging out with certain people or at certain places. It may mean removing environmental cues or triggers around the house. It may mean actively seeking spiritual fellowship and accountability. It may mean finding a positive pursuit to make myself less available for dangerous distractions. 

The point is, making ourselves unavailable for danger can be an option. We don’t always have to stand and fight or struggle. But it requires prudence. It requires a certain kind of vision and knowledge about ourselves and about the situations and dangers around us. May we have wisdom to see what is coming and hide ourselves if we need to.