Many weeks ago, I took a poll on my Instagram Stories. I wanted to know how easy it was for people to accept the truth particularly when it was hard and bitter.
The results didn’t surprise me at all. A large percentage said they found it really difficult to accept hard truth; and because they found it hard to accept, they equally struggled to express bitter truth to their loved ones even when it was obvious that the latter needed to hear it.
There’s no doubting it. Hard truths are just that – hard to accept. We’re not wired to enjoy discomfort of any kind – and in several ways, receiving wise counsel can be uncomfortable.
King Solomon understood the natural tendency of man to rebel against discipline. That’s why he went ahead to admonish us not to despise the Lord’s discipline or get upset when He corrects us. (Proverbs 3:11)
I remember a time in my own life when I just couldn’t handle the truth. I immediately developed ill-feelings towards anyone who tried to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. In this area of my life, I wasn’t just behaving like a simpleton. I was acting like a fool (notice that there’s a difference between a simpleton and a fool?). Ouch! Well yeah! My heart was hardened against the truth and it wasn’t long before I started spiraling down a slippery road.
When some of my loved ones tried to caution me about a man I was in a relationship with, I refused to listen to the voice of wisdom. When my mother said she would pray about him, I got upset because I didn’t want her to come back with any negative reports from her prayer time. I was pushing back so hard against wisdom and I didn’t even know it.
So, down and further down I spiraled, losing my very essence, completely deceived, ensnared and locked up in a pit that would take a war waged by the host of heaven to rescue me. By the time I realized I needed to get out of that entrapment of a relationship, I couldn’t see an escape route.
It was then that I began to say “If only I had listened to wisdom’s voice and not stubbornly demanded my own way, because my heart hated to be told what to do!” (Proverbs 5:12 TPT)
Today, my heart is particularly with you, my friend who is single, dating or about to make a relationship decision.
A major litmus test for knowing if you’re in God’s will is how open you are to receiving wise counsel concerning that person you’re dating or considering being in a relationship with.
Another one is the actual counsel you’re receiving concerning that person – especially from trusted loved ones.
If everyone around you is concerned about someone you’re seeing, you need to pay close attention. Way too often, we’re too emotionally entangled to hear God’s voice so He uses those in our lives to reach us.
The enemy is out to attack your destiny and one of the easiest ways for him to do this is by getting you entangled in a destiny destroying relationship.
That guy will talk smooth. He’ll look good. You may be allured by the sensuous fragrance of his perfume. You may feel hypnotized by the mere sound of his deep, insistent voice. You may feel yourself losing control, falling harder and harder for him. Add the fact that he goes to church and speaks some Christianese. He will have a form of godliness – just enough to draw you in – but his heart is far from God, and like the seductress in today’s chapter, he leaves his victim with nothing but a bitter conscience.
“She will ruin your life, drag you down to death, and lead you straight to hell. She has prevented many from considering the paths of life. Yes, she will take you with her where you don’t want to go, sliding down a slippery road and not even realizing where the two of you will end up! Listen to me, young men, and don’t forget this one thing I’m telling you— run away from her as fast as you can! Don’t even go near the door of her house unless you want to fall into her seduction.” (Proverbs 5:5-8 TPT)
Although Solomon was addressing his son, these words of wisdom ring just as true for God’s daughters.
Dear one, take heed. Seek God’s face concerning every potential relationship – before your feelings begin to get in the way. Quit the whole secrecy game. Be accountable and listen to the voice of wise counsel.
What are some of your biggest learnings from Proverbs 5?