Proverbs 14:3-4

“By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”

This is one of my favorite scriptures in the whole Bible. It’s one of my faves because it affirms something that maturity tells us day in and day out. Life is messy, and it keeps getting messier! But it’s okay because there is going to be fruit for that. Rule number one that this scripture suggests is don’t over commit. Foolishness in the dictionary can be defined as lack of wisdom or insight to the future. Use your mouth and words to build up your future rather burden your future. Protect the time that you have and understand the amount of time that certain things will take you, otherwise you place a rod on your back that you won’t even be able to move under.

The next verse blows my mind because it reminds us that wisdom isn’t always an easy schedule, it’s just a worthy one. Sometimes you will have a lot on your plate and that’s just the season you are in. Think of oxen as the commitments you make. Sure, in a life of no responsibility there is no mess, but there is also no fruit and that is not the empty life God asks of us. He never said he wanted a ‘pretty’ life, but He did say He wanted a fruitful life. If you are in a busy season, don’t immediately look for escape exits to all these commitments. Stay in the game and keep your ‘oxen’ in their place because although it might look messy, it’s going to be worth it when the pay off comes.

Evaluate what you are committed to and take time to envision the benefits of that commitment. If you struggle with this on certain responsibilities, perhaps prayerfully consider taking things off your plate. Remember, the difficulty of the task isn’t what matters, it’s the fruit that defines whether or not it’s worth it.

Proverbs 12:21-22

“No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”

What am I more concerned about, being a delight to God or having an easier life? What guides my decision-making? Is it the desire to avoid trouble or the desire to pursue integrity? Both of those options sound like a good idea, but at the end of the day if I pursue safety prior to principle then I’ll never hold up the many jewels that the Lord desires to place on my crown. As we seek His will, we replicate His character. Therefore, we should be aiming for the righteousness that delights God prior to the protection that His sovereignty offers.

Priorities are a huge principle that the kingdom of God highlights on. As humans, we are subject to cause and effect. But sometimes things happen that we didn’t cause or mean to effect. That is where the priorities of the heart come to the rescue. If we seek to delight in God and yet the world around us is falling in on us, we can take a rest knowing His delight in us isn’t based on just the way life looks. At the same time though, if we evaluate our life and find it to be troublesome, sometimes you will also discover some misprioritizing. If that is the case, thank God that He uses everything messy to create something beautiful. In that moment of self realization you have the opportunity to realign yourself with the pursuit of holiness instead of other things you may have been more concerned about.

It’s a daily exercise to reflex on the motives of your heart, but a very healthy habit to develop. If it becomes consistent, evaluating life’s causes and effects becomes less tasking and more empowering. Above that though, it sets us up for the true fulfillment in life, which is to honor God, not to just avoid troublesome situations.