Good Monday morning to you. Well into my 2nd cup of coffee, I felt that today would be a good day for some common-sense instruction from scripture. I love what Rick Burgess, from Rick and Bubba, has to say about common sense....."In today's world, common sense has become a super-power.
Here's what the Recovery Bible has to say about the book of Proverbs.
"Just as common sense is rare, godly wisdom is also a quality hard to find. The book of Proverbs can be a helpful resource to fill the void left by the lack of wisdom and common sense in society today." So with this as our basis, let take a look at what Proverbs has to say.
Proverbs 1:2-3
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just and fair.
I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but I do believe I see a word mentioned twice in those verses that are key, and at the heart, of anyone who would seek God to come out of a life of addiction. The word is discipline.
According to the web site "Got Questions", here is the definition of spiritual discipline.
Discipline is defined as "training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior." Discipline is not part of the sin nature, but it is a natural component of the Christian life. In fact, almost nothing of any significance in our lives is ever accomplished without it.
Spiritual disciplines can be described as those behaviors that augment our spiritual growth and enable us to grow to spiritual maturity. This process of spiritual growth and development begins to take place the moment a person encounters the risen Christ and comes to Him for salvation.
The purpose of spiritual discipline is the development of our inner being, that which has been transformed by Christ at salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Redeemed believers have experienced the total renewal of the whole person from within, involving differences in thought, feeling and character that may be slower to be evident in our outward behavior. This is what Paul had in mind when he spoke of taking off the "old self" and putting on the new, “which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).
So the Proverbs are going to give us instruction of how to live a life that is worthy of the call and salvation that has been afforded to us by Jesus. Somehow along the way, the message about following Jesus has been twisted into "I'm saved by Grace! I am forgiven! I can live anyway I want to. I can always come running back to God and be forgiven! After all, He is a loving benevolent God who would never let me go to hell. That is dangerous territory to be putting down your tent pegs. I think I'd pull up stakes and move on. God has called us to a higher purpose than to keep living in sin, and unless we truly allow His Holy Spirit to bring about the need change inside of us, and the removal of our character defects, we will continue to live a defeated life.
Inward change produces a change in our outward behavior.
Think on these things.
God on you...
mbb
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