Do Not Be Wise in Your Own Eyes

(I had AI make this for me. It's amazing at how well it can follow instructions.)

Do Not Be Wise in Your Own Eyes

I love reading Proverbs. It's one of my favorite books of the Bible to read.

I heard it said many times when I was younger that if you can't read the entire Bible in a year, then be sure to read the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. I've done my best to do that over the years, although I haven't always succeeded.

But there is something about Proverbs that keeps drawing me back. There is so much wisdom packed into those chapters, and so many of the verses are practical reminders of how we're supposed to live.

This verse is a great reminder:

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and Shun Evil."
Proverbs 3:7

When I read, "Do not be wise in your own eyes," I basically take it to mean don't think your wisdom is better than the Lord's.

And boy, can we get ourselves into trouble when we do that!

It's easy to think we know what is best. We look at a situation, make our plans, follow our feelings or desires, and convince ourselves that we've got it all figured out. But the Lord sees what we can't see. He knows what we don't know. His understanding is far greater than ours.

Being wise in our own eyes is really a matter of pride. It's saying, in one way or another, "I know better."

And I've certainly had my moments of doing that.

Then the verse goes on to say, "Fear the Lord and Shun Evil."

I don't take "fear the Lord" to mean that I need to be shaking in my boots because of what the Lord will do to me.

Fear can take on so many meanings, but when I see "Fear the Lord," my mind goes to reverence, honor and awe.

I need to hold the Lord in the highest regard. I need to recognize who He is and who I am in comparison to Him. I need to give Him my utmost attention because of all that He has done for me. And I need to give Him the praise, honor and respect that He deserves.

In other words, I need to trust His wisdom more than my own.

And then there is that last part: "Shun Evil."

I take that to mean that anything that isn't honoring to the Lord shouldn't have a place in my life. I shouldn't flirt with it, entertain it or make room for it.

I should shun it.

It needs to stay behind me. It needs to have no place in my heart, my mind or my life.

Man, have I had ample opportunity for evil to really take up residence in my life by trying to be wise in my own eyes.

I remember a time when I lived like a hellion even though I knew better. I wanted my way, and there was nothing anyone—not even the Lord—could say or do that was gonna stop me.

I thought I knew what I was doing.

I thought I knew what I wanted.

I thought doing things my way was going to make me happy.

But ya know what?

That only works for a short while.

Eventually, living that way begins to eat you up inside because deep down you know better. You know when you're going against what the Lord has shown you. And no matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise, doing things our own way doesn't bring the true peace and fulfillment we're looking for.

I've learned that God's way really is better than my way.

That doesn't mean following Him makes life perfect or that I'll never struggle. It means that I've learned I don't have to figure everything out on my own. I can trust the One who sees the whole picture when I can only see a tiny piece of it.

And maybe that's part of what this verse is reminding me of.

Don't be so wise in your own eyes that you forget who God is.

Don't let pride convince you that your way is better.

Don't let the things of this world take up residence in your heart.

Instead, humble yourself before the Lord. Reverence Him. Trust His wisdom. Follow His ways. And when something isn't pleasing to Him, shun it.

So what this verse teaches me is this:

Don't live for yourself.

Give the Lord the respect, honor and reverence that He deserves.

Trust His wisdom over your own.

And don't allow evil to have any place in your heart or life.

Because I've learned the hard way that being wise in my own eyes can lead me down a path I never intended to go.

But when I humble myself, trust the Lord and follow His ways, I know I'm walking in the direction He wants me to go.

And that's a much better place to be.