Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”
Our Bible verse for today: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” Proverbs 12:15 (NLT) “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” Proverbs 19:2 (NLT)
Our thought for today: “Impatience often leads to poor decisions.”
I have grouped Proverbs 12:15 and 19:2 together in this devotional because together they help to emphasize a mistake that many Christians make. I’ve known many Christians who had the bad habit of making hasty decisions, without consulting with others, and then baptizing their decisions as “being from God.” In other words they quickly decided for themselves what they wanted to do in a particular situation, and then rationalized in their own minds that the choice they made must have come from God. Although they would seldom phrase it this way it’s as if they’re thinking, “This is what I want to do, so it must be what God wants me to do too.” They seem to think that their personal desires and whims can be trusted as always being from God and always consistent with God’s will.
Impatience in decision-making often leads to serious mistakes being made. When we act in a hurry, without first checking our facts, without consulting others, without checking the Bible for guidance, and without waiting on God, we frequently end up with a mess on our hands. Worse still, when we make choices that are obviously selfish, willful, and inconsistent with Biblical standards, but then try to convince ourselves and others that “God is leading me in this direction”, we fool nobody (certainly not God), and we set ourselves up for serious mistakes.
Including God in our decision-making is sometimes quick and easy. If you’re thinking about choking your knucklehead co-worker, you know how God feels about that (Thou shall not murder). If you’re attracted to your neighbor’s wife … well again, it’s a no-brainer, you know what God has to say about that. But many times things are not so clear and so our decision-making cannot be quick and easy. Including God in our choices often requires time, thought, prayer, counsel with others, searching the Scripture, and then more time.
Impatience in decision-making often leads to serious mistakes so take the time to include God and others.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 