Twelve Characteristics of Shrewd As A Serpent
“Training for Combat is Not Combat Itself.”
- attributed to military leaders such as Carl von Clausewitz, a 19th-century Prussian military theorist, or Sun Tzu, in The Art of War
Edited 03.29.24
In risk, there are levels of maturity and awareness. Christ-followers may be described from Level 0 (Blind Faith) to Level 5 (Shrewdness). The Oxford Dictionary defines shrewdness as: Having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness, especially in practical matters. Jesus taught: “Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16).
If we want to become shrewd as serpents, we have to start at the beginning. That means learning the basics of risk literacy, and as we learn risk literacy skills, attitudes, and knowledge, we are on the first phase of training towards shrewdness.
We cannot become risk shrewd without becoming risk literate. There are no short cuts. We cannot learn everything we need from a book. We must enter into risk and experience it to know first hand what it means to live under threat, chaos, and uncertainty and make decisions in these circumstances.
Risk Literacy is the basic attitudes, knowledge, and skills required to assess various witness risks and mitigate them based on a mature discernment of Holy Spirit-led stewardship.
See the RAM Flow Chart for the steps of Risk Literacy.
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Risk Shrewdness is becoming skilled in risk literacy and cultivating the following 12 characteristics:
1. Applied Risk Ethics – competing values in tension and understanding the righteous choice based on how the Bible models decision making when two “goods” are in tension. Which one weights heavier?
2. Refined Thinking About our Thinking – Aware of your and your organization and your home culture biases, what risk myths you tend to act out of, which mental errors are habitual and need to be mitigated, employs both a logical and affect approach to risk assessment and mitigation; knows how to compare data sets and proficient at data analysis and statistical thinking
3. Situational Awareness and Situational Understanding – knowing the context, culture, baseline, the rule of 3; etc. Is prepared for interrogation through training and scenarios, has basic security training to respond well to mob and other anticipated threats;
4. Information Analysis (=Intelligence). Requires training to learn how to evaluate information coming in and how we might be manipulated by other people/political agenda.
5. Threat Analysis - A learned skills necessary for determining what is a legitimate threat and what is just meant to scare us off. Knows how to navigate Death Threat analysis;
6. Decision Making Agility - in risk and VUCA situations, we need to hone our risk decision-making skills; uses a flexible decision-making matrix;
7. Effective Risk Communication
8. Systems vs. Linear Approach - risk is not a problem to solve but a tension to manage and requires thinking systemically across the team and the organization, not in silos. data analysis as it applies across an organization, a risk situation, or even the persecution level in different regions of the country; Understands and can apply the impact of data and information across the organization, not in just one areas;
9. Cultivated Anti-Fragility Faith and Mindset - mature discernment, ability to enter into the meaning no matter how painful,
10. Integrated Risk Intelligence (RQ) - we have to know what our risk capacity (RC), risk appetite (RA), and risk tolerance (RT) is. There are several ways these can cause us problems: for example if our RA is higher than our RT - we will have cognitive dissonance and less resilience.
11. Fear managment, High EQ, and Perspective vs. Perception - Science has known for decades that risk assessment done without including the affect will be flawed. Humans simply are not as logical as they like to think they are. The better we can be aware of our emotions and develop EQ, the better our risk assessment and management will be. Perspective over Perception - in a world of artificial reality, we must enter into the other through seeing the perspective of the other; that is one tool to help us discern what is happening. The Church seems to think we can live without fear. Fear is built into our biology, and is necessary for survival. Better to manage it and learn to face it rather than ignore it. Courage is when we do the right thing even when we are afraid.
12. Know both Human and Legal Rights - in whatever country you are, know the legal rights and the UN (globally defined) human rights.
Risk Shrewdness is cultivating skills in all these areas. I can’t think of anyone I would say is optimal in all 12 areas, but definitely a team of people could form that represents all of these skills at the optimal level and really help each other through danger.
So if you are in risk right now, don’t despair, but just ask the Lord to show you what your next step is. He is optimally risk shrewd, and knows the way through whatever you are facing. As you follow Him you will experience His faithfulness to you because His loving kindness has no limits.
For more explanation of these, see my book Facing Fear: The Journey to Mature Courage in Risk and Persecution. Available at William Carey Publications and Amazon in ebook and print formats.
