July 18

Jul 18 - Today from Proverbs 18 we look at verse 7
"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul."

Think of what your life would be like if you actually said everything that came into your mind. I would be in so much trouble! So, we can see why this proverb doesn't say a fool's mind is his undoing. Because we live in a body of corrupted flesh, which exists in a corrupted world, it is all but impossible to avoid corrupted thoughts. It is true that once we become believers, that we are to repent of purposely exposing our minds to corruption and we are to renew our minds with the truth and goodness of God's Word (Romans 12:1, 2). To offer our bodies as a living sacrifice means we are to consider our bodies dead - sacrificed - on the altar. We are to be in the process of renewing our minds with the patterns of God's Kingdom. It is an ongoing, daily process. Jesus instructs us to "take up your cross daily," the cross is the altar of the sacrifice. It is to be a daily process until we are free of this corrupted flesh and living in glory.
We can minimize corrupt thoughts by disciplining ourselves not to conform to the patterns of this world (system), but we will never be completely free of them in this life. Thoughts can enter against our will. I am not sure that a corrupt thought is necessarily a sin. Entertaining the thought surely is. The thought of not going to the cross certainly crossed Jesus' mind. He articulated the fact in Gethsemane. But He did not entertain the thought - He surrendered it to the Father. He was tempted - but He never allowed the temptation to be conceived. Jesus' brother James writes, ". . . after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." (1:15). Once a corrupt thought is entertained, sin is conceived.
There is a mechanism in our body over which we can exert our will - that amazing little muscle known as our tongue. We may not be able to fully control our thoughts, but we can control our tongue. The fool has never learned this. Often the fool doesn't even bother to entertain a corrupt thought - as soon as it comes into his mind, it comes out of his mouth. Instant conception! Evil is effortlessly set into motion. People are hurt; rumors are started; anger flares; people are misled; feelings are crushed - all fodder for the powers of darkness to expand their evil in the lives of mankind. Eventually, this all works against the foolish soul, who by allowing his tongue to be used as a channel of evil is himself undone and ensnared. Undone because he has lost respect and integrity. People who exceed do not seek to employ such fools in their plans. Ensnared because such people become tools of evil without even knowing it. Such fools are to be pitied, but not trusted. Such fools are to be engaged, but not enfolded. To intimately hook-up with such a fool is to invite your own undoing and ensnarement. "What about our freedom of speech?" the fool might ask. Every freedom comes with a boundary - to "Love God with your all and your neighbor as yourself."
There is a remedy for such foolishness:
First, one can learn to practice the presence of Christ. Would you say such a thing if He were standing by your side? Would he applaud your statement - or would He be ashamed?
Secondly, and this is directly connected to the first, one can discipline themselves to process their thoughts. How will this statement affect the person or people hearing it? Does it represent the character of Christ? What is my motivation for saying it?
Thirdly, and this is directly connected to the first two, one can discipline themselves to pray in the time of temptation. A corrupt thought is a temptation. Before further entertaining the thought - or speaking the thought - pray! Something like; "Lord, you have authority over all things - including this thought. In Your Name I renounce it, and I ask that my every thought be taken captive, obedient to You." If you can't remember all of that, you can at least pray; "Lord, help me here!"
Don't ever let the enemy convince you that because the thought came into your mind that you are already guilty. Wisdom learns to take authority over corrupt thoughts and to control the tongue. Your will cannot completely control your thoughts, but with practice, it can control your mouth.