I am impulsive. I say and do things almost as soon as those words or actions come to my mind. It’s a struggle I have fought for quite literally my entire life. I have worked on handling things with thought and restraint since I gave my heart to the Lord years ago, but it wasn’t until the last couple of years that I really understood how important the wait is. We are always growing in the spirit if we are seeking the Lord faithfully.
On the other hand, I have also stayed far too long in situations I do not belong. God has let things happen to give me an out, but I claw my way back anyway. So, not only am I impulsive when I shouldn’t be, but I’m indecisive when I should commit to change. So, my flaws are hard pills to swallow this morning as I do my Bible study on Proverbs 23.
God says “consider diligently what is before you,” and then He says that those who sorrow are “they that tarry at the wine.” So, what is He saying?! How can I consider everything there is to consider without hanging around too long? This is a conundrum for me sometimes. Then, I think about those times I am confused. Am I communicating with the Lord? Am I in the Word? God just wants me to ask Him. Then, I have to listen carefully. Last, I make a move following His lead (not my will). Too often I ask, and then, I carry on in my own way. Far too often I stay when God says, “Pray and go.” I’m not always meant to be in the middle of His work. There are times I’m just supposed to trust that He is taking care of everything.
I think about the times I’ve seen people change. It’s because of this last line:
Proverbs 23:35 says:
“They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me, but I did not feel it! When will I wake up? I will seek more wine.”
When sin becomes so much part of life that it just exists in every level of living, we no longer see it as wrong. We can justify it. We feel as though it’s not only ok, but just a necessary part of life…and then, we go back for more and more.
God wants us to be steadfast in prayer but not open ourselves up to the dangers from which He is trying to remove us. Physical danger is concerning, but facing spiritual warfare can create an undesired finality if our minds are not set to God’s path instead of our own. When we stay too long, we become numb to the wrongness of the situation. We go back for more because it’s what we know, and it no longer feels wrong. When is enough, enough?
At the end of the day, God has to be in every single conversation (the ones we have with ourselves and others). The intrusive thoughts that fuel impulsiveness and the stubbornness that feeds the inability to walk away are nothing He can’t help any of us overcome. We just have to ask AND listen.
Comments