My Daily Pause

There is only one correct path

Doing what is right is the way to life, but there is another way that leads to death. – Proverbs 12:28 NCV

If there is a way to restate this verse to make it more understandable, I’m not sure what it would be.

Jesus spent his life as a living example of the right way:

• He is the way
• He is the truth
• and none of us will get to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

Couple that with:

• There is only one God (Ephesians 4:4-6)

When we come to the fork in the road, best to check the directions God gave us.

Inserting ourselves into a situation usually only keeps the fire hot.

“If you have been foolish and proud,
or if you have planned evil, shut your mouth.

Just as stirring milk makes butter,
and twisting noses makes them bleed,
so stirring up anger causes trouble.” – Proverbs 30:32-33

Whether or not it is on purpose, creating anger in others is ungodly.

• Friendships will not grow
• Trust will not build
• Peace will not prevail

The Proverb writer says to just keep our mouth closed when these situations arise. Peter goes so far as to rank meddling with murder and theft. (1 Peter 4:15)

Asking ourselves if getting involved will assist or aggravate a situation is the first step in being helpful.

Realizing that the answer is usually “aggravate” is the second.

Stoning of St Stephen – ~1435 – Paolo Uccello (1397–1475)

Acts 8:1 says Saul approved of the execution of Stephen.

He thought he was doing God’s will – all the way up until he met Christ in a vision on the way to Damascus in Acts 9

At any given time on our Christian walk, there is more we need to know. No matter how mature in the word we think we are, there are corrections to make and more understanding we can gain.

There are many “versions” of God’s word being taught in the world, but only one we will be compared with at the judgment.

The way to find the right one is go to the source.

Study it then review it.

Repeat.

…and the one who grins is planning something wrong…

Someone who winks is planning evil, and the one who grins is planning something wrong. – Proverbs 16:30 NCV

I once heard a story – I don’t know if it was an anecdote or a real event – about the employee that brought his boss information he had stolen from a competitor. He was fired because, as the boss said, “If you will do this for me, you will do it to me.”

Christ saw this problem in his people and had a solution (Matthew 13:15). He planned his ministry around helping the heart be more sensitive to sin.

Opinions are offered freely as if they have value

Jesus called it.

Jesus really nailed how the world would react to him in John 15:18-25.

The world hated him.

The world hated the Apostles.

The world hates God’s word.

You might have noticed the world hates when you talk about God’s word too. Making a reference to the Bible often ends a moral discussion in a stalemate because they hate hearing it.

It is worse when “Christians” do it. More and more, they let opinions, feelings and thoughts take precedence over the written word of God. They have begun to let the world dictate what is acceptable.

They choose what they want over what God wants.

What will get you to heaven – obeying God’s word or popular opinion?