“Every man's way is right in his own eyes; But the LORD weighs the hearts.” - Proverbs 21:2
I used to really be perplexed and struggle over why people do such stupid things to wreck their lives. I would look for reason or logic that leads to such a bad decision. Then I read this Proverb and it all made sense.
People do things because they are convinced that it’s right… in their own eyes. This is why it’s unwise to only keep your own counsel and not seek out wisdom and advice from other people. That’s why we need to live our lives out in the open, not under a blanket, covered in darkness. We have an amazing capacity to deceive ourselves. Sometimes you need an outside source to hear your great plan, your “castle in the sky” only to shoot it down. Sometimes you NEED a little rain on your fell parade. We have this amazing ability to convince ourselves that the particular course we have chosen is correct, even when we know it’s wrong.
Being a pastor, I’ve had the opportunity to interview lots of people after they have made life altering bad choices. I’m talking about losing tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars on unwise purchases, gambling or bad business deals, cheating on their spouses, driving drunk and getting busted, etc. So far, EVERY SINGLE ONE of the people I have talked to KNEW that their actions were wrong; they just BELIEVED that it would work out or somehow they were justified in their actions. They had convinced themselves that it would be OK, in the end.
But here’s the kicker: we are not our own judge, God is. He ultimately determines what is right. He has told us through His word and He’s shown us with His example when He walked the earth. He sees deeper than our actions and looks at the motive and intent of our hearts. You can snow people forever, but the Lord knows what is motivating you. We can try and avoid Him or we can face Him and own the mess that is in our hearts. When we do, He reveals to us the true intent behind our actions and turns our heart towards Him.
LIFE LESSON:
Every dumb thing you ever did, you did because you thought it was the right course and failed to get God’s opinion on the matter.
I used to really be perplexed and struggle over why people do such stupid things to wreck their lives. I would look for reason or logic that leads to such a bad decision. Then I read this Proverb and it all made sense.
People do things because they are convinced that it’s right… in their own eyes. This is why it’s unwise to only keep your own counsel and not seek out wisdom and advice from other people. That’s why we need to live our lives out in the open, not under a blanket, covered in darkness. We have an amazing capacity to deceive ourselves. Sometimes you need an outside source to hear your great plan, your “castle in the sky” only to shoot it down. Sometimes you NEED a little rain on your fell parade. We have this amazing ability to convince ourselves that the particular course we have chosen is correct, even when we know it’s wrong.
Being a pastor, I’ve had the opportunity to interview lots of people after they have made life altering bad choices. I’m talking about losing tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars on unwise purchases, gambling or bad business deals, cheating on their spouses, driving drunk and getting busted, etc. So far, EVERY SINGLE ONE of the people I have talked to KNEW that their actions were wrong; they just BELIEVED that it would work out or somehow they were justified in their actions. They had convinced themselves that it would be OK, in the end.
But here’s the kicker: we are not our own judge, God is. He ultimately determines what is right. He has told us through His word and He’s shown us with His example when He walked the earth. He sees deeper than our actions and looks at the motive and intent of our hearts. You can snow people forever, but the Lord knows what is motivating you. We can try and avoid Him or we can face Him and own the mess that is in our hearts. When we do, He reveals to us the true intent behind our actions and turns our heart towards Him.
LIFE LESSON:
Every dumb thing you ever did, you did because you thought it was the right course and failed to get God’s opinion on the matter.
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