Walk This Way

"My son, do not lose sight of these--keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.  Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.  If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet" (Prov. 3:21-24, ESV).

It is easy to lose sight of sound wisdom and discretion.  Sin comes and whispers softly in our ears, "No one will ever find out," or "It feels right go ahead and do it," or "You're not hurting anyone."  The lie is so simple, so sweet, so subtle.  Its siren song seduces the heart into foolishness and indiscretion.  All the while that sin is coaching us to believe our transgression will go unnoticed, it's coaching someone else to snoop in our business.  Having set the trap, sin waits for us to take the bait.

If wisdom and discretion are forgotten, destruction is not far behind.  Solomon informs the reader that wisdom and discretion sustains and adorns our lives.  When people abandon wisdom and discretion their lives begin to go downhill.  Often their lives spiral out of control.  Sin dogs their every step awaiting to destroy them.

The wise and discrete have their lives adorned with the fruit of righteousness.  They are the fragrance of life to those who are living.  They have a natural charisma that draws others to them.  They speak words of life and offer sound advice.  They walk without stumbling.  That isn't to say that they don't ever sin.  It means that as long as they are walking in obedience the Lord will uphold and protect them.

The urgency in these verses should compel us to listen.  They should drive us to focus on maintaining wisdom and discretion in our lives.  These verses also imply that this process of setting our sights on wisdom and discretion is to be an ongoing process.  We cannot let up or back down, because the instant that we do we will stumble in our way.

There are many who lie down at night and are unable to sleep, because of anxiety.  I'm sure somewhere in the world tonight there is a person who is hoping his sin will not become public.  He is praying for the first time in a long time, and yearning for mercy.  However, ultimate peace cannot be obtained apart from the path of wisdom and discretion, because one must walk, by faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ to truly walk in wisdom and discretion.  When we walk with the Lord, we are free to lie down at night and rest.  If we have sought to live out our faith in humble obedience during the course of the day, we can rest easy.  When we walk this way, we know that the Lord is pleased.