March 15 – The Escape From Self (Proverbs 3:1-12)

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”
(Proverbs 3:7)

IN WORD:
If we ever take hold of the idea that we are innately wise, we are destined for failure. In fact, Proverbs 16:18 says as much: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Placing any faith in our own wisdom is a form of pride. It is also self-delusion. We do not know anything about the future for certain; we don’t know the intricacies of our own hearts; we don’t see all the motives and moods of other people; we don’t have an infallible understanding of human psychology; and we don’t fully grasp the spiritual realities of God’s Kingdom. God has a handle on all of these things; we have a handle on none of them. To act as if the reverse is true is the ultimate foolishness.
We’ve read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Proverbs 3:7 implies that the opposite of fearing the Lord is self-reliance. We absolutely must understand the gap between us and God — and how amazingly it was bridged — if we are to act wisely. We cannot approach life without an overwhelming sense of the eternal if we are to invest in what is truly valuable. Understanding God will change how we spend our time, our money, and our talents. It will change how we approach our circumstances, our relationships, our work, and our attitudes.

IN DEED:
Have you noticed that those who make bad decisions are usually acting out of extreme self-interest? A focus on self leads to devastating shortsightedness and has evil, destructive consequences. A focus on God — His character, His ways, His eternal nature — leads people to wisdom.
Try this exercise the next time you face a decision: Instead of writing a list of pros & cons, write a list of motives for each choice. Pros & cons are about outcomes; but since we can’t know the future, they are only guesses. Motives are about perspective; they identify the center of our lives. If we’re centered on ourselves, we’re fools; if on God, we’re wise.

“All the graces of a Christian spring from the death of self.”
-Madame Guyon-