Readings for today: Proverbs 5-8
The devil is cunning. He’s been at his work a long, long time. He knows our weaknesses. He knows where we are vulnerable. He knows exactly how to tempt us off the godly path. Pride. Lust. Greed. Selfishness. These are just some of the tools of his trade. He takes advantage of our sinful inclinations. He weaponizes our deepest desires and uses them against us. Perhaps most of all, he’s relentless. He never stops. He never backs down. He never gives up. Though he knows his destruction is assured, his utter hatred for God drives him to destroy as many people as possible. I have seen it over and over again. Men and women who come into my office broken. Their marriages have failed due to an affair. Their families split up due to anger and violence. Their businesses fail due to greed. They are bankrupt because of terrible decisions they made. Their selfishness makes relationships hard. Their arrogance makes it hard to be around them. They are isolated and alone. They cope with alcohol or drugs, trying to numb the pain. They spiral into depression and despair. Some even engage in self-harm and suicidal ideation. It’s hard to witness. It’s painful to watch. It’s heartbreaking on so many levels.
In my experience, most of our pain is self-inflicted. I know that’s hard to hear. But most of the pain we suffer is the result of a series of decisions we’ve made over the course of our lives that have taken us down the road we’re on. And when we finally reach the end and everything comes crashing down around us, we wonder where we went wrong? We ask God why He would allow such things to happen to us? What we fail to do is take responsibility for the choices we made that led us to the place we find ourselves in. When I counsel people, I try to help them trace the history, the genesis story, of how they got to where they are. I try to help them see that they didn’t get to where they are overnight. Typically, their journey began with one small step away from God. One small move that set a trajectory. They got off just one degree and over time the gap between them and God began to widen. Priorities shifted. Choices were made. And the next thing you know, they find themselves in a ditch.
The Book of Proverbs is all about choices. Godly choices versus ungodly choices. Over and over again, Solomon sets up the contrast. He compares the foolishness of humanity with the wisdom of God. He points out what happens when we follow our own desires instead of seeking after God. He speaks from personal experience. His own story is a tragic one. He began so well but eventually became seduced by the trappings of power and wealth and glory. The end result was the division of his kingdom. The seeds of civil war were planted and came to fruit after he was gone. What seeds are you planting? What decisions are you making? Where is your path leading? Repent before it is too late. Turn back to God and confess your sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to crucify the desires of the flesh and give you a heart after God.
Readings for tomorrow: Proverbs 9-12