Proverbs 14 gives a contrast between the life of the wise vs. the life of a fool (or the unwise). As I read through this Proverb, there were several verses that caught my attention and forced me to ask the question “Am I choosing to live by the standard of God’s word in every area of my life?” and if not “Am I changing to align every area of my life with the word of God.”
Our life is a daily journey to learn what God’s word says and then walk it out-loud for others to see so they may come to know the saving grace of Christ’s love. So the first verse that stopped me dead in my tracks to do a little self assessment was verse 9.
“Fools don’t care if they sin, but honest people work at being right.”
I got out my journal and wrote down my thoughts to the following questions:
• Have I fallen into repeated patterns where I know my actions, words and deeds speak negatively about my walk with Christ? [I guess what I mean by this question is: what do others who don’t know the truth of God’s word see when they watch the way I live my life? When I come to realize what others are seeing in me that don’t line up with God’s word, I ask God to forgive me of (the specific sin) and give me the courage to to change so my belief align with His word.]
Verse 12 also had me looking inward,
“Some people think they are doing right, but in the end it leads to death.”
Is there anything in my life that I think I’m doing right, but I haven’t checked against God’s word?
Since accepting Christ as my Savior, I have so desired to live the abundant life He has for me and I strive to walk in His truth in everything I do…from the way I act around others, conduct myself at work, raise my child, and treat my spouse. [I know I’m not perfect…and I know God’s grace is sufficient for me every day of my life. When I mess up…I fess up.] My prayer is that I will continue to grow daily in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ so that I may life a life worthy of the gospel. Thank God that my walk with Christ is a “marathon, not a sprint!”
My prayer is also the same for you. I pray you will live your life according to the truth of God’s word and when sin in your life is revealed, I pray you have the strength to lay it down at the foot of the cross and trust Jesus to help you grow and change.
Related reading: Gal. 5:22–23; 2 Peter 1:5-6; Titus 2:2-6; 1 Cor. 15:58
