Consulting the ‘Map’ for Avoiding Life’s Everyday Perils

Can you imagine being a soldier deployed in a war zone somewhere in the Middle East, Iraq or Afghanistan perhaps, and being sent out on a mission on foot or by transport vehicle? You know the intended route is littered with IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), but you have no clue where they are. 

 

What might that be like? Sadly, many in our military have experienced that firsthand, suffering grave injuries or even losing their lives when one of those lethal devices detonated. If only they had been able to refer to a guide – a map of some kind – that could pinpoint the location of each IED or other enemy threats so they could steer clear of them. 

 

Pastor Tony Evans made reference to this on a recent radio broadcast, observing that in many ways our journey through life presents us with similar perils. They might not be physical explosions, but have the capacity to blow up our lives apart in other ways. We call them temptations. They present themselves to us without warning, threatening to set us off course or even stop us dead in our tracks. How can we avoid them?

Fortunately, we have a safety guide, a “map” called the Bible. At times life seems to throw us into harm’s way at every turn, imperiling our health, marriages, families, careers, finances, even our goals and aspirations. Throughout the Scriptures we find principles and truths to help us navigate around the potholes, dead ends and unwanted detours we encounter along the way.

 

We can find beneficial teachings throughout the Bible, but for many years the book of Proverbs has been one of my favorites to find practical, down-to-earth wisdom for virtually every aspect of life. I compiled an book, Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace, citing principles and practices Proverbs offers for folks who spend many hours each week in the marketplace. But Proverbs is just as relevant for teachers, homemakers, married couples, parents, pilots, mechanics, mentors and counselors.

 

Suppose you have a problem with anger, tempted to flare into a destructive rage with little provocation. We find words of caution such as these: “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult” (Proverbs 12:16) and, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (Proverbs 29:11). To show how common the issue of unrestrained anger is, we’re provided many other passages on this topic.

 

Maybe you’re a person who isn’t always careful about the things you say. Consider these: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Or, “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down” (Proverbs 26:20). And then there’s my personal favorite, one I’ve had to put into use many times, “When there are many words, transgression is not avoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).

 

Early in my adult life I thought credit cards were magical. I didn’t need money in my checking account; all I had to do was “charge it.” Only later did I learn the consequences of accumulated debt and compound interest. Thankfully I came across this admonition: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). I became much more judicious in the use of credit cards and readily available credit.

 

When it comes to decision-making, it’s easy to proceed without considering all perspectives. As they say, we want what we want when we want it. But there’s great wisdom in seeking the advice of people we trust: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22) and, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise” (Proverbs 19:20).

 

Husbands may be tempted to take their wives for granted, but Proverbs reminds us they can be among God’s greatest blessings: “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord” (Proverbs 19:14). And most of Proverbs 31 is devoted to extolling the virtues of a godly wife, starting with, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies,” and concluding,“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised…” (Proverbs 31:30).

 

Integrity and honesty are all-or-nothing virtues. You can’t have a little bit of integrity, or be fairly honest. As Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity,” and “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare” (Proverbs 21:6).

 

We’ve probably all felt repulsed by people displaying excessive pride and ego. On the other hand, almost invariably we’re drawn to people who display a humble spirit. We see confirmation of this in the book of Proverbs: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2) and, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). We also find this principle: “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

 

There are many other topics we could look at, but even these listed are just the tip of the iceberg of the great wealth of wisdom we find in Proverbs, not to mention the other 65 books of the Bible. Spend a little time in the Scriptures, even use a handy reference to research topics of particular interest to yourself. You’ll find a true roadmap for everyday life, preparing you for the inevitable traps and hazards that pop up along the way.

 

As a passage from the New Testament declares, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Often that “way out” is recalling and implementing God’s promises in His Word.