Good day dear listeners and welcome again to overcoming temptations. I wish you God’s grace and wisdom in Jesus name. Today our topic is titled “Be Wise for yourself”
Our text is taken from Proverbs 9:12, the King James Version says – If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. The New Living translation says – If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer. And the Good News translation says – You are the one who will profit if you have wisdom, and if you reject it, you are the one who will suffer.
Be Wise for yourself. Some people think that if they do what is right it will benefit another person, but the bible says that you are wise for yourself. When we were younger and going to primary school, on a day our parents offended us we told them that Dad/Mum I will not go to school today. Thinking that we were hurting our parents by not going to school. But the truth is that if you refuse to get education it not your parents that will suffer it, you will suffer it first and maybe them indirectly, but you will certainly suffer it most.
When you advise people and encourage them to depend on God and obey his word, they think they are doing you a favor by serving God. I was speaking to someone the other day and encouraged her to stop fornication and wait till she got married. And she kept telling me that I should not worry. I had to tell her that if anyone should worry it is her, because she is the one that needs to stop and ask God for mercy, I told her that if she decides to obey God she is doing it for herself and not for me or anyone else and if she refuses it is her that will suffer the consequences. If you are wise you are wise for yourself and if you reject wisdom you will be the one to suffer it. Proverbs 9:12.
There are people out there whom your loved ones have been begging you to repent, they have told you all the consequences of sin, they have shared God’s word with you, prayed with you, fasted for you, but yet you still decide to live in sin. Well I have news for you. If you decide to repent you will be the one to be saved and have peace, but if you refuse you will are the same person that will suffer it. So be wise for yourself.
Again, there was this lady whom was encouraged not to live with any man in the name of boyfriend or fiancé until they have been properly married by tradition, by church and by the court. There was nothing that this lady was not told but she insisted that she will live with him and he will marry her. Anyway after this man used her, he still went to marry another woman, and in fact he sent her his wedding card to attend the wedding. What a painful experience. When people give you godly advise it is because they love you and want you not to suffer some things that they consider dangerous to you. Either due to their experience, experience of others or the word of God they know that the path you are following is dangerous and should be avoided.
So if you are committing fornication, adultery or homosexuality, stop now and ask God for forgiveness and grace to overcome. Don’t destroy yourself, if you stop it means you are wise and you will be the one to benefit from the favor God will bring your way, however if you insist and continue you are the person that will suffer the consequences. May God grant you the grace to choose wisdom in Jesus name.
