Speaking into our Lives

“As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.”

Proverbs 27:17 NET

We all have friends, but most of us...and hopefully all of us...have that one special close friend that will not hold back anything if something is needed to be said. Over the course of my life I've had several people that have spoken in my life. These are much needed people as they help me grow in my relationship with God and with others. My wife and my best friend are two people that will speak to me whenever I am needing a "come to Jesus moment." They will not hold back, but they will speak what needs to be said. And when they do this, it is done in love, it is done in a way that the ultimate goal is for me to recognize an area in my life that needs correction. You see, God uses those people in our lives to speak to us. Usually when someone comes to us and points out an area in our lives that isn't right, our first response is to defend ourselves and to put up the walls of security because, "hey, we are perfect, there is nothing in my life that needs to be fixed." Unfortunately when we do this, we no longer are allowing others to help us and we stay in the same mess we are in. When we allow others to speak into our lives, and listen to what they say, we can then go to God and ask Him to help us with this problem. 

Take Away: when someone talks to us about an area in our life they see is a problem, be open to receive what they are saying, don't put up the wall of defenses, but go to God and ask Him to help you.

Daydreaming

The one who works his field will have plenty of food, but whoever chases daydreams lacks wisdom. (Proverbs 12:11 NET)

When I was a kid, I, along with other kids in the nieghborhood, would go outside and play. We had a forrest behind our house next to a large field, and we would run around the field, hide in the ditches, make trails in the woods, we even built a treehouse. This taught me something. It taught me that there is a whole world outside the doors of my house waiting for me. I chose to step out into that world, I chose to better myself, I chose to follow the course of my life that God wanted me to follow. Unfortunately there are others that stay at home, rarely venture outdoors waiting for something to drop into their lap. Then when it doesn't, they complain about how bad they have it or they make fun of those who did decide to step out the front doors. God gave us a life, and we can choose how we want to live it. This passage of Proverbs says if you choose to do something, you will reap the rewards of it. It also says if you choose to just daydream of what COULD happen and not do anything about it, then you will reap the consquences of that decision.

Take Away: Instead of daydreaming of what could happen and not do anything about it, ask God to guide you to what WILL happen, and then follow His guidance.

Repeat Over and Over Again

Keep my commands so that you may live, and obey my instruction as your most prized possession. (Proverbs 7:2 NET)

Years ago I tried teaching. It was my very first time teaching and I was so excited about it. I thought "man, these students are going to love my lesson!" Much to my surprise they didn't, and in fact I really did a horrible job. I thought "well, I guess I'm not suppose to teach." A few years later a good friend told me that the Holy Spirit was grieved at my decision. I tried teaching again and since then I've been teaching quite often. A lot of us are the same way when it comes to God's word. If we try it once and it doesn't work, we give up. But if you look at Proverbs 7:2, it doesn't say keep my commands once and it doesn't say obey my instruction once. It says KEEP my commands. That means you guard them in your mind and anything that comes contrary to it, you don't allow it to overcome Gods command. It says OBEY my instruction, it means you continually do them over and over and over. And when you are done doing it over and over and over, then do it over and over and over again. Like the shampoo bottle instructions say...REPEAT! When we continually, and I would say habitually keep or guard in your mind God's commands and do what He says to do, we will live and we will have an abundant life!

Take Away: don't just do God's word once and give up if it doesn't work. Keep doing and doing and doing, over and over and over!  

Counsel and Advice

When there is no guidance a nation falls, but there is success in the abundance of counselors. (Proverbs 11:14 NET)

We think we can do it by ourselves. We think we don't need anyone, because needing people shows weakness. I use to think that...yeah, that really worked for me...NOT! If we are really honest with ourselves all of us would say the same thing. Oh yeah, it may work for a short period of time, and you may get close to what you were wanting, but the reality is we can't do it by ourselves. We need each other, we need people in our lives, that is how God made us. We were created to be social creatures, individuals with our own talents, giftings and thoughts, but as Jesus said, we are all one body...each person needing the other. The Apostle Paul even said to the Acts church "do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together." Being an only child I got use to doing things on my own, and yeah it worked for me for a while. But as I grew up, I saw the need to have others in my life to give me wise counsel. True, we are the ones that make the final decision, but when we have the advise and guidance of the people around us, people that we trust, our decisions are made with more assurance and wisdom.

Take Away: When you are facing a decisions, seek advise and wisdom from those people around you whom you trust, and above all, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.