Today: Proverbs 19
“Get ‘er done!” – Larry the Cable Guy “Just do it.” – Nike advertising slogan
“I did it my way.” – Frank Sinatra
“Have it your way.” – Burger King
These are the ways our culture teaches us to live. They say …
You da man!
You are the master of your own destiny.
Only you have the capacity of change yourself.
This way of thinking makes you the transcedndent one in you life. It makes you the Lord and Savior of your own life. It makes you an idol, a false god that you put before the real God.
God’s Word, especially in the book of Proverbs, teaches us a different way — God’s way — to live our lives:
You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail (Proverbs 19:21, NLT).
God is in control; only he is sovereign; only he is Lord. He keeps teaching me that He is God, and I am not!
If you are a Christ-follower, don’t forget this vital principle: “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). So, “don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2, NLT).
The book of Proverbs is all about helping us change the way we think. Just look at the various proverbs that compare the way a fool thinks and acts to the way a wise person thinks and acts. This is why I like reading the book of Proverbs every so often: it fills my mind with God’s principles for how to think.
In comparison, consider these wise ways of thinking about life from a few of the wisest people who ever lived:
- “Get ‘er done”? … “The Son . . . can do only what he sees his Father doing” – Jesus (John 5:19).
- “Just do it”? … “I do nothing without consulting the Father” – Jesus (John 5:30).
- “I did it my way”? … “I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God” – David (Psalm 18:21).
- “Have it your way”? … “Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and revering him” – Moses (Deuteronomy 8:6).
How do you find yourself thinking?
Do you usually think and act like your life is your own?
How can God transform you by changing the way you think?
