Proverbs 12:5-6

⁵ The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. ⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

Choices

There are different choices in life. You apply for employment at different institutions, and you may get multiple offers. You have to choose which company gives you the better benefits. You go to a restaurant; you decide which food you wish to eat. You go shopping and buy the best things you prefer for yourself.

Yet not everyone may prefer for betterment. There are individuals who just settle for ordinary things. Did you know that? What do you prefer: good or better? Test yourself in this: Proverbs 27:5, ⁵ Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Do you prefer the better open rebuke or a hidden love? Most people would crave for open flattery. Someone testified of his personal experience of being late. When he was late for worship service, he felt guilty when church attendees stare at him as if they’re saying, “You are late again!” He preferred an experience when he attended a business seminar. He was also late. But seminar speaker stopped his presentation and said, “Hey! You made it! Welcome to the seminar!”

How do you appreciate if preachers stopped and welcome late attendees from the pulpit? Most if not all of us prefer a hidden love. The better choice open rebuke is not readily appreciated. Many resist open rebuke and may consider it as hateful, derogatory or even offensive speech. Why is that?

Rebuke is correction of wrongdoing, and to be corrected is indirect insult to sanity and intellect. We cannot readily appreciate biblical rebuke because human tendency is to resist the word of God or rebuke from God. But when the Spirit of Wisdom and Spirit of revelation prevail in us, biblical rebuke is appreciated.

Together, let us reflect on what Apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17,

¹⁷I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

As children of God, it is for best Christian life experience for us to know Christ better. So, when we sense resistance to biblical rebukes, it means our humanity dictates us. When the Lord redirects us to better way or path that we should take, he rebukes us. And we need the Spirit of wisdom to practically interpret and appreciate rebukes as revelation from the Lord to follow his ways.

Biblically, open rebuke is better that hidden love, but it is not appreciated unless we are inspired by the Lord. The Prophet Jeremiah cried to the Lord about the people of Jerusalem in Jeremiah 5:3, ³ Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Israel exemplified human instinct of resistance to God. God chose Israel for himself but they just ignored him. So, what could we expect from Gentiles?

Truly, we can only choice to behave in godly righteousness, when by faith we depend on the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. When we acknowledge the Lord and seek his guidance in all our desires and plans, he will gladly direct us to the right path that he already prepared for us.

Pray that God inspires you to have righteous desires and honest plans.

 1.  Plan

          ⁵ The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

With the availability of internet, it’s easier to search for needed information. It’s wise to be aware of scammer and pretender who take advantage of mediocre mindset. Individuals with simple mindset are easily victimized because they won’t deliberate, reflect or ponder upon choices of what is good, better or best.

If you are not expert yet, and you are praying for investment opportunities, experts openly advise to seek help from financial advisors. If we put our money in the bank, we should choose which bank offers the better benefits, right? If we’re to decide on mortgage options, we want financial institutions favorable to us.

Keep in mind that financial advisors have personal agenda. They want also to benefit from clients. Be mindful of free meals in the market. Sure they may let you taste their product for free, but they make sure that they’ll recover their loss and expect profit. But how do we know that we decide on the right choice?

Always remember 1 Corinthians 1:24, ²⁴To those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Pray that you grow spiritually mature in your faith in Christ. Whenever you decide, trust that the Lord would guide you practically. He gives peace to assure us we decide according to his righteous will, even, when things are not clear yet.

Abortion

Medical practitioners with educational expertise may observe if pregnancy has deficiency or not. If they are not 100% sure that a pregnancy is normal or it has high percentage of possible deficiency, they may suggest abortion.

If they don’t want to take care of children with deficiency, they may prefer abortion. It’s tough decision; but we’ve heard several testimonies of mothers who preferred to give birth of their child against recommendation of medical experts.

Reflect on what Christ said in John 10:10, ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Does life to its fullness that Christ promised includes parental matters? The Scripture teaches that children are a heritage or gift from the Lord. Does the Lord give children as addition to fullness of life of parents? For believers, children are potential disciples for parents. We should be prayerful when we decide on matter we cannot control. By faith we trust that Christ protects including pregnancies.

2.  Protect

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

There are many possibilities in life that we cannot be very sure what to do.

For better decisions, we seek advice from experts in their field. If you’re not sure which career path to take, ask a career advisor. If you are not sure how to deal with your marital confusion, ask a marriage counselor. If you have spiritual disorientation, pray earnestly, and the Holy Spirit will guide you through.

Christ declares in John 16:13,  ¹³But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

There are many experts who are ready to give advisories in their fields, but be prayerful and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that you may discern which advice is the best practical step you should take. Sometimes, God allows mistakes for us to clearly discern that his righteous ways are still the best for us.

Click Baits

You heard the term “Click Baits!” If you were politically active, you would monitor stories about politicians that you follow. When the name of the politician is mentioned in the headline, it’s instinctive to click and read the news article.

The same is true with other matters. If you are thinking about money, there are many click baits for you. If you want discussions about your favorite player, hobby, business or life lessons, you instantly click on and read online articles.

Many have reported that their social media accounts were hacked or used by bad elements of the society. Such online problem practically shows that where good things are happening, bad elements are also actively pretending. At work places, in school, in the community, we can expect the presence of deceivers.

Reflect on what it declares in 2 John 7-9, ⁷Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. ⁹ Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Many experts in their fields can be very intriguing and captivating, but take precautions. How? Be prayerful and read the word of God so that you will discern which one is biblical or not. Always seek to be filled and inspired by the Holy Spirit so that you will decide on what right and just in the eyes of God. And, store up eternal treasure for yourself in heaven as you look forward to Christ’s return.

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