Psalms 37:30 (NLT), “The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.”
Yesterday I reflected back on the conversation I had with my 5 year old son over his actions in school. As I wrote about in the blog titled, “Bad Days Will Happen, God Still Loves You”, he had a rough day in school and wasn’t treating his classmates nicely. During the conversation we talked about different things he could have done to make the day better and how he can fix it so the next day isn’t a repeat of the same thing. The point of that entire conversation was to have him realize where he went wrong and to show him how to fix it to make it right. And isn’t that the bottom-line so many times when we are teaching our kids, we want them to learn the difference between right and wrong.
This is the same thing God wants us to do in our own lives. He wants us to know the difference between right and wrong, and act on it. Now are we as humans at that point where we are making the right choices all of the time. Sadly, no we are not at that point and because of sin, we will never get to that point. But that should not keep us from striving to reach that goal with all our hearts, every chance we get. But how do we know what is right and what is wrong.
For believers, the answers lie inside of God’s Word. By reading God’s Word and understanding how God wants you to live your life, you get a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Proverbs 4:11 (NLT) says, “I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.”But even then you still need help to stay on track. You need correction when you’re headed for danger. So where does that come from? It comes from the people who pour into you us throughout your life. It comes from the people who invest their time and energy into helping you live a godly life.
Parents, for example, have tremendous influence in this area, especially when their children are young and forming their opinions about themselves and the world. The time you invest in your children and their development is so important. Teaching them to understand who they are in God’s eyes and who they can become will pay huge dividends. As it says in Proverbs 23:24 (NLT), “The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.”They need to learn life lessons from you because they trust you as their parent to teach them the right way. These lessons don’t stop once they move past the age of being small children. These lessons continue on throughout life.
As young adults, in addition to your parents, you need other people around you investing their time in your development as a person. For many teens, this may be a teacher or coach they look to for sound advice and guidance. If you are that teacher or coach investing your time in the development of young adults, please understand the importance of your job. You are either building upon what they have learned from their parents or sometimes you are providing guidance they didn’t receive at home. Either way, you have a tremendous influence in their development and growth as children of God.
In our adult lives, the lessons continue and we need other adults to invest their time in our lives. For those in a church setting, this is where small groups come into play. This group of believers invests in each others lives and supports each others walk with Christ. As I can personally attest to, that walk will have it’s ups and downs and I am so thankful for the small group members I’ve come in contact with over the years that have helped guide and correct me. If you’re not in a church small group setting, you need those individual friends who will invest their time in your life. These are the people who no matter what the situation is will be there to love you and gently correct you, if needed, at the same time. Their investment in that friendship can be the difference between you choosing the right path and you choosing the wrong path. So if you’re that friend, be ready to invest your time when needed.
As you can see, throughout our lives we need people investing their time in us. Each one of you can be that person of influence someone else looks to along their walk with Christ for guidance and direction. When those opportunities come, you have to be willing to invest your time in that person. Know that by investing in them to help them succeed on their walk with Christ, you are also helping yourself towards the blessed life God has for you. No matter the age or status in life, there are always people out there you can invest your time in. Proverbs 9:9 (NLT) tells us, “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” So ask yourself, are you investing your time in anyone?
Truth In Love! ~ Chuck