Feb 12 - Today from Proverbs 12 we look at verse 15
"The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."
Do you realize how many ways one can be self-deceived? Well, I have spent over half a century on this earth, and if I haven't experienced them all, I think I am close - and I pray that I don't experience the rest.
One thing I have observed from personal experience is that many times we are self-deceived because deep down inside we want to be. On what do I base that observation? When I really desire to do something and I have built myself a sound case for doing it, my inclination is NOT to seek advice. Somebody might come up with a solid argument against it! And there lies the first huge clue that I may be on a fool’s errand.
As I grow in wisdom (I'm working at it), when making a decision that could have a significant effect in its outcome, I try to discipline myself to seek advice from someone who is both knowledgeable on the subject and has integrity. I'm not talking about what to have for breakfast or what color socks to wear (although that may at times be a fool’s errand). I am talking about things like priorities with my time and or money. Things that might affect relationships in my life. These are areas where we can deceive ourselves into thinking we're doing the right thing by seeking an outcome to weigh in favor of a subjective desire. A good friend, or even a 'professional' with integrity will have the capacity to be a little more objective.
For some reason it seems that women generally have a tendency to be a little more disciplined in this area. From my experience they talk things over a lot more than us men, and they seldom hesitate to seek advice from professionals or other types of knowledgeable people. Oh sure, men talk things over too. But if their mind is made up, they do not readily take advice - or they find other men who agree with them and accept their advice as good advice.
Sorry guys. It's an observation of life. But for those of us who have been formed in that mold, we don't have to stay there. The renewing of our minds through the study and application of God’s Word can transform us. Proverbs 12:15 is a good place to begin.
Why, just last week I actually stopped and asked for directions!
Since Nov 08
About Me
- Ken
- While mentor-ing a couple of young men late in the year 2001 , I told them that if they agreed to read a chapter of Proverbs each week-day as a part of their devotions, I would choose one verse from the chapter and share a meditation by email. They agreed. I continued to write the meditations at my desk in my home for the next two and a half years. They began to forward them to their friends and I received requests from those friends to be placed on the email list. My personal email bundle was to about eighty people. Many of those people forwarded them to friends all over the country – and some over the world. Only the Lord knows how extensive the writings traveled. I am not a professional writer, and each meditation was spun off in a relatively short period of time during my own personal devotions in the morning. In April of 2004 I assembled 366 of the meditations into a calendar year. As I now bring up the Proverb of the Day to send on to my friends, I am surprised at how fresh each of them is to my own heart – and often how they speak to me in a completely different way than when I first wrote them. . . . . Ken Sweers
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