Guarded

"The highway of the upright avoids evil;

he who guards his way guards his life."

(Proverbs 16:17)

The evil in this world is so prevalent. Let your guard down for one iota of a second, and the enemy has the cunning ability to snatch your attention, seeking to lead you straight down the path of destruction. We reason and rationalize like little children who want one more piece of chocolate. One time won't hurt. I don't gossip like some people do. Watching this movie won't make me stumble. It's just a fiction book. No one will know. We can't be too extreme or we'll scare non-believers away. We can partake in this activity as long as we witness while we're doing it.

I find it extremely amusing how often we as believers take Scripture - the living, breathing, inherent Word of God - and interpret it to our own standards. Catering to our personal, denominational, cultural, and generational opinions. And I am utterly confused as to why we simply think this is okay.

My mom called me a few weeks ago and told me to turn on Larry King Live. I watched in amazement as a well-known female Christian musician publicly admitted to having been in a relationship with another woman for the past several years. Justifying her actions, she explained that this was her particular path in life and that God was accepting of her lifestyle choices.

Now, before I go any farther I would like to make mention of one thing. I just sat through a sermon on Sunday on love. More specifically: loving our enemies. Using the text of Luke chapter 6, we were encouraged to implement the following teaching of Jesus into our daily lives as believers:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:27-29, 35-36)

Scripture tells us to love our enemies, not to be partakers with them. Ephesians 5:11 admonishes us to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness." Scripture also tells us to live as children of the light, finding out what is pleasing to God (Ephesians 5:8-10).

"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:17-24)

For more than one reason in particular, I feel the Spirit compelling me to share this truth this morning. It is absolutely imperative to our witness for Christ, as women of God, to read and interpret Scripture with authority and accuracy. Our own interpretation of Scripture could be detrimental to our witness, if we fog it up with our own fleshly desires and opinions.

A few questions to ask ourselves and pray through when faced with making life decisions and forming opinions:

1. What does the Word of God say about this topic?

2. Does this particular opinion of mine line up in congruency with the Word of God?

3. Am I living my life in the world, or of the world?

4. Do I look different to my unbelieving friends?

5. Am I loving those who do not know Jesus, condemning them, or partaking with them?

Maybe too bold of a word for this early in the morning. But the truth hurts - I know it does for me. The truth that the very enemy of our souls is after us, desiring to deceive us with empty words (Ephesians 5:6), and we have to fight for truth in this world of evil.

"The highway of the upright avoids evil;

he who guards his way guards his life."

(Proverbs 16:17)

Is your life guarded?