Avoiding The Pits Using Proverbs

Good eve, bloggers!!

I got my braces on the upper teeth today and it looks great. Hard to tell whether if I have braces or not. It looks like I have a retainer which is good!! The "catch" that fits on the tooth to hold the wires are clear, not metalic. So I don't look like JAWS after all!! :) Now that it's day one with braces, I'm looking forward to the transition it makes..

I would like to blog about how we avoid the pits of life. Some of us may run into a quagmire and fall into a trap. We may end up being ambushed by Satan's arsenals! I don't mean that we work toward "never" falling into the pits of life the rest of our lives. Some pits should not be avoided but embraced as evidence of God at work. However, there are pits that are the result of sin we refuse to relinquish or a wrong habit we cherish and love more than we love God. We should and can avoid these pits by making the right choices using the book of Proverbs..

First choice: guard your thoughts. "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life." (Proverbs 4:23, NCV)

Second choice: guard your mouth. "Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say things that are not true." (Proverbs 4:24, NCV)

Third choice: guard your eyes."Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good." (Proverbs 4:25, NCV)

Fourth choice: guard your steps"Be careful what you do, and always do what is right." (Proverbs 4:26, NCV)

"Remember the Lord in all you do, and he will give you success. Don't depend on your own wisdom. Respect the Lord and refuse to do wrong." (Proverbs 3:6-7, NCV)

It is impossible to know Christ and respond to the world in the same way. Meeting God changes everything, including our lifestyle and behavior. Our perspective and standards will change. Everything is new, as if we were born again.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

True obedience means that we learn, accept and choose to live out his truth every single day. We are living sacrifices, trophies of his grace.

"So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect."(Romans 12:1-2, NCV)

God does not want a season of obedience. He wants a lifestyle of obedience. I know it sounds like an impossible and overwhelming command! That's only because it is! Obedience to God is impossible outside the power of God. Your Father has already been where he is asking you to go, my friend. He has prepared the way for you and will empower you to walk it. Guard your steps.

If you missed last week's class on Proverbs, why not start this Wednesday through April to study God's wisdom counterattacking life's problems? This class is too precious to pass up!