Time to Wise Up

King Solomon penned these words in Proverbs 13:1, A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Sadly, for the past 28 years I have not been able to hear any instruction from my dad. You see, three days after my 16th birthday my dad lost his 3 month battle with cancer and went to be with Jesus. As I have reflected on this verse I have thought about what my dad taught me. Although he taught me a lot during those 16 years, I recall a conversation with him a month or so before he died where he specifically instructed me to honor God and to honor women. I have never forgotten his instruction. I am thankful that my dad took the time to instruct me with his lips but also thankful that for years he lived out what he taught me. I will always be indebted to my dad who was a wise son.

As I think about Solomon’s counsel, I think of another father, my heavenly Father. If I am a wise son then I will hear, or heed, God’s instructions found in the pages of His Word, the Bible. Tragically, too many people see the Bible as nothing more than a book of regulations or prohibitions. However, I see the Bible as God’s love letter to man. When I read His love letter I discover loving instruction from the heart of my Father. Just as my earthly dad cared enough to instruct me, so too my heavenly Father cares for me and wants the best for me. So, if I want to be a wise son I will heed His instruction.

Solomon goes on to write in Proverbs 13:20, Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Who are you hanging out with? Who are you following? Perhaps you’d have to admit that it’s time to wise up. If you want to be wise and avoid trouble in your life then walk with God. Read His love letter and choose to follow His instructions. You’ll be glad you did in the end!

True or False?

While in school, I disliked taking True or False quizzes. The obvious reason of course was that I did not know the answers (and it did not help when some of the statements were just plain tricky). As I think back I realize I would not have minded the quizzes as much had I been prepared. Of course, the only way to be prepared for such quizzes is to be familiar with the subject, and this requires study. 

In a similar way, it is important for those who listen to Bible teachers/preachers to be familiar with God’s Word. Why? Because not every teacher or preacher is preaching truth. This problem is nothing new. Jesus warned us to “watch out for false prophets” (Mt. 7:15). The Apostle Paul addressed false teachers on more than one occasion during his ministry (see 2 Cor. 11; Gal. 2; 1 Tim. 1, 6). In fact, when writing to Timothy, Paul instructed Timothy to confront the false teachers in the church at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3). He went on to describe false teachers as “conceited” and understanding “nothing” (1 Tim. 6:4). The Apostle Peter also had to confront false teachers (2 Pet. 2).

False teachers are just as prevalent today. Although I do not believe all false teachers are intentionally misleading people the fact remains that they are still not teaching truth. Recently while reflecting on the issue of false teachers in the church something occurred to me: Christians must validate the teaching they receive by the Word of God. We must not simply take a Bible teacher/preacher’s word as truth unless it aligns with the Word of God. This requires personal time in the Word which includes reading, meditating on, studying, and memorizing God’s Word. The Apostle Paul challenged Timothy to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). The Apostle Peter counseled: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2). The Apostle John issued this challenge: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). When listening to Bible teachers/preachers it is imperative for us to be prepared so that we might discern whether their teaching is true or false.

Where Are You Headed?

Recently my lovely wife and daughters bought me a GPS for my graduation gift (in case you're not familiar with a GPS, it is a global positioning system that allows you to enter an address and then it leads you to your destination with every turn). The Garmin 200 that my family gave me is very easy to operate. So, while at the beach we wanted to go eat at LuLu's. Although my mother-in-law knew the way I thought this would be a great time to show off my GPS to my girls. So, I looked up points of interest and found LuLu's and made my selection and then we were off to LuLu's (or so I thought!). I followed the GPS's every direction. Along the way I noticed that my mother-in-law, who was following us, turned around and headed in a different direction. She called me on my cell and asked where we were going. I replied that I was following my GPS to LuLu's. She told me she would meet me there. I confidently reassured my wife that we would beat her mom there--after all, I had a GPS! However, when my GPS told me that I was arriving at my destination I discovered that we were not at LuLu's but rather had arrived at some motel. Somehow my GPS had landed our family across the river from LuLu's. To say the least, from that point on I chose to ignore the GPS and follow my mother-in-law's directions and we finally arrived at LuLu's. My sweet 9-year old daughter, Lauren, told me that she wanted to ride back to the condo with grandma because she did not have a GPS. So much for showing off and impressing my girls with my GPS!

As I reflected on this humorous experience I thought of something. I have been provided directions for life in the Word of God, the Bible. Every day I have a choice to make--will I follow the directions from God's Word or go my own direction? It is a choice we all make every single day. Unlike my GPS, God's Word will never lead us wrong. We can count on every single direction God gives to us because God has our best interest at heart. After all, He created us, therefore He knows what is best for us. Solomon penned these words, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths" (Prov. 3:5-6, HCSB). We can always count on God's directions knowing that He will guide us on the right paths. Who are you trusting today? If you want to go the right direction then trust God because He alone is absolutely trustworthy! So, where are you headed?