Everything you do, everywhere you go….

Proverbs 3 contains these verses that I grew up on. Maybe you did too.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.  v5-6 (NIV)

Now I’m all for trusting in God with all my heart. That’s the main thing this journey has taught me about so far. But I worry that ‘lean not on your own understanding’ can lead people to think we should not engage our brains. Must not engage our brains. As we saw yesterday, our understanding and knowledge alone are not enough. We are influenced by our environment and upbringing more than we realise. But God can invade our understanding. He can show us what is good and right and true and ‘straight’. We can learn to trust the insight and wisdom that God has given us that resides in our heart and soul. And for the record, I’m all for ‘let your will be done’ in all things. If we trust that God knows best, then it stands to reason that His will and His ways are best.

So, back to Proverbs 3, in The Message this time. Which is entitled – ‘Don’t assume you know it all’. Yup. Wise words. The more I know, the more I realise how little I know and how much there is still to learn!

Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you;
take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well. v1-2

There’s an awful lot around at the moment about living life to the full. Living long. Living well. Working out what that means for you exactly. I’m on a mission to really work on that now I’ve left my job and am embarking on a different path. I’ll keep you posted!

We’re encouraged to keep love and loyalty close. In discussions of wisdom and knowledge, it can soon become all about who’s right and who’s wrong. Love and loyalty soon go out the window. And wisdom follows close behind.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. v6

That’s from verse 6 in The Message. I love that. Listening for God in every situation. The God of surprises who is always there to greet us and inspire us. I have a friend who hates the song ‘Open the eyes of my heart, Lord’ but this is that. Open the ears of my heart, Lord. That I may hear you. Help me to see you. Help me to hear you.

Honour God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.

More wise words. Don’t give God what’s left over. Don’t give God 10%. Give God everything because everything we have is His and of His own, do we give Him. The best of everything I have. The best of everything I am. Never be half-hearted (although never beat yourself up that your best is not the same as someone else’s or the same as it was yesterday – it is the best you can bring and be with the very real limitations of today).

Lady Wisdom and Madame Insight. Really? The mind boggles! They are precious. Get to know them. Make friends with them. Treat them with respect.

And so, Clear Thinking and Common Sense will keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. That’s what we’re all striving for, isn’t it? With our quick fixes and miracle diets and secret tips of the beauty trade. This way may take longer. It may require more effort. But it is genuine. It is long-lasting. The effects rise up from within. I’m buying into this approach to life.

No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.

That’s great, isn’t it? Imagine living without anxiety about what’s around the corner. Without catastrophising about the future. Imagine being able to sleep at night. Imagine being able to trust that God will always be there. Imagine the peace and reassurance that comes from that.

And finally for today –

Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God’s hand for that person.

Because it’s not just about you and me. It’s about spreading God’s kingdom by being there for other people. About putting yourself out for other people, because they are God’s people too. Caring for God’s world and all the people in it.