THINK TOGETHER.
Do you tend to make excuses? What is your “go to” excuse when you don’t obey?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 26:12. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
God wants us to be wise, but he doesn’t want us to be wise in our own eyes. He wants us to fear him, humbly listening to him, and loving what he loves.
Sadly, people are born with a tendency to be wise in their own eyes. What does that mean? Someone who is wise in their own eyes thinks that they are wise when they really aren’t. This is really bad. This person is what we call self-deceived, or in denial. They can’t face the truth about themselves or their own sin. They think that what they are doing is right when it is actually wrong. This is how all sin began. Adam and Eve were wise in their own eyes. They thought that eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the best thing that they could do. But it was actually the worst thing they could do.
People have been doing the same thing ever since. That’s why there is a whole book in the Bible about how to truly be wise God’s way (its Proverbs). And that’s why Jesus came to Earth. Not just to show us how to be wise, but to BE wisdom for us so that when we receive him, we are receiving all of God’s wisdom at the same time. Which means that, like Jesus, we can now be humble and trusting in God like he was, instead of trying to do everything our own way.
So are you wise in your own eyes? One way to know for sure is to ask yourself how often you make excuses for what you do wrong. If mom and dad ask why you didn’t clean your room, and you make an excuse, you are saying that your way was better than their way – I am wiser than you, mom and dad. OR if Jesus tells you to love your neighbor, but you say that person is too hard to love (excuse), then you are really saying that you are wiser than Jesus. But trust me you’re not.
Because of Jesus we have God’s wisdom (humility, trust, love) inside of us.
With Jesus we never have to be wise on our own.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
When you hear your child making an excuse give the thumbs down sign. Say “try again.” When they re-state what happened (or didn’t happen) taking responsibility give them the “thumbs up” sign. Keep it light. Make getting “thumbs up” fun.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, help me to not make excuses and to simply trust you. That’s wise! Amen.
TLICfamily 