Father Knows Best

When we think of where to get our instructions, our guidance on how to live a life based on solid principles, there are several different places we seem to look. We keep all of the so-called self help books at the top of the best seller lists and all of the authors on the talk shows. We should look no further than God’s Word, particularly in the book of Proverbs. This compilation of intelligent advice is chocked full of great philosophy aimed at how to live, guide, advise, demonstrate and teach all wrapped up into one neat package. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This is an excellent starting point for any teacher as they pass advice on to a younger student. But it’s just that, a starting point.

We tend to always put the “cart before the horse” and try to hit the ground running midstream, hoping to jump ahead of the rest of the pack and not concerning ourselves with the basics. As a people, we tend to be very competitive, wanting to stay ahead of the game, out in front leading the way as opposed to following. King Solomon tells us in the very next verse to avoid being “wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” He warns us to follow the Word, and not to always be out in front, plowing ahead without listening, understanding and obeying God’s great life changing advice.

If we turn our focus on how to avoid the negative, and accentuate the positive, we will find ourselves in a much better place and frame of mind. God’s wonderful advice is not aimed at getting us out of a bad situation, but directed at how to avoid those situations in the first place. That’s why is so important to make sure our children and grandchildren are being brought up in a warm, caring environment that is full of biblical teaching. This way, they know where to find the best advice before getting into the binds and worldly snares of life. These binds and snares typically come from “left field” and impact our lives before we even know what hit us. This emphasizes the need for good grasp of how God would want us to deal with these issues before they rear their ugly head.

We need to get back to applying the Word of God to our daily lives. Proverbs is a great place to start, laying out a design for wisdom and truth, and the reliance on God to get us through, and not our own foolish belief that we know what’s best. I believe it’s been said several times over, “Father knows best.”