Humans beings have a way of making themselves the center of all things. Something goes right, we all desire the credit. Our boss has nothing but good things to say about the department, who wants the glory? Wisdom is no different. There are some that claim to be wise on their own merit; they studied hard, they went to school for years, they have a doctorate. Solomon encouraged us, by way of the Holy Spirit, that we need to acknowledge where our wisdom comes from.
"Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord, and turn [entirely] away from evil." Proverbs 3:7, Amplified
We should not ever come to the place where we are wise for ourselves. I myself have fallen victim to this sam way of thinking. I being wise in our own eyes, we tend to place ourselves upon a pedestal. We amass a wall of learning. Degrees, certifications and honors are placed out for all to see. "Look at me!', we exclaim. The one problem with placing ourselves on that pedestal is that we have farther to fall. I have fallen too many times, yet there are times in my life when I feel that I belong on that pedestal.
How is one to convert from this "me" syndrome? The answer is right in front of us. Fear and worship the Lord. The fear being spoken of here is one of reverence, respect, adoration. If our focus is on the Lord, then we cannot focus on ourselves. If the focus is on ourselves then we cannot focus on the Lord and therefore in danger of sin. But this is a two step process. We are to fear the Lord and we are to turn from evil. This is not a turning of the head to divert one's eyes. This is a full 180 degree turn away from sin. We can walk towards sin and turn an eye to it. It is like watching an R-rated movie and closing your eyes when a nude scene comes up. the problem with this solution to "not sinning" is that how much of the nude scene did we see before we closed our eyes, how much of that flesh is burnt into our mind before we say it is enough? But what if we were not even walking in that direction? If we never place our feet on the path that might possibly lead to sin then we will not sin. Do you see what I a getting at? To turn one's head is simply not enough, the whole body, the directionality must be changed.
"It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones." Proverbs 3:8, Amplified
Reverence to the Lord is something that is good for the body. The New King James calls it "health to the flesh and strength to the bones." Praying never resulted in a heart attack. Worship never lead to diabetes. Having a devotional did not cause cancer. Are all these things among Christians? Yes. Do they originate from the Lord? No. I cannot begin to answer why the Lord allows these things to afflict the Christian, but I can say that they are not because of loving the Lord. My father stopped drinking 17 years ago, he drank very heavily up until a turning point in his life. He decided to follow Jesus and turn entirely away from alcohol. My father also died from liver failure on Christmas day 2008 due to his time drinking. Could the Lord have miraculously healed my father? Of course. Do I blame the Lord for not healing my father? No. It is not the Lord who killed my father, but the sin that ensnared him in life. You see, the worship of the Lord does not lead to diseases of any kind and is not detrimental to the body. But sin has a way of slowly destroying a person. Lack of sleep, an unhealthy diet, drugs, alcohol, rampant sex can all be directly linked to death. I encourage the reader today, to turn entirely, completely away from sin.
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