Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
— Proverbs 3: 7
What does it mean to be wise in your own eyes? I’ve heard of “wise guys” but I don’t remember hearing “wise eyes” before.
When we look at ourselves “in our own eyes” there is always a tendency to see what we want to see. When we look at someone else we have the advantage of seeing them from outside their head. Inside our head, our vision is cluttered by all the wants, needs and hopes we have collected all our life.
To be wise in our own eyes is to measure ourselves against… what? Who do we know better than ourselves? Do we measure ourselves against how wise we were yesterday? If yes, then hopefully we are going to be wiser today. Every day we get a little wiser, so yes, I will look “wise in my own eyes.” Does that make me wise, though?
How do I look in God’s eyes? Isn’t that the real question? Solomon answers that question with two simple instructions:
- Fear the Lord.
- Shun evil.
Oh … and do not look wise in your own eyes.
Application: Look at yourself through God’s eyes. What do you see?
Food for Thought: What is a practical way to ”shun evil?”
There are many ways to actively shun evil. Bad company corrupts good morals. So who we choose to fellowship with is one area to consider. Of course, we need to reach out with the love of Christ to all. But positive peer pressure is an asset. Another way is to know God’s word and obey it through the power of the Holy Spirit. I also think worshipping the Lord, including prayer and thanksgiving puts us in a proper state of mind to shun evil. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18; Philippians 4:4-9; Colossians 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 10: 5.
Thanks Rich!
Nice list!! I always appreciate the Bible verses you share. I especially liked the last one today where it says to take, “…captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Being in God’s word do that the Spirit can convict us when we’re straying into sin.
Amen, Rob! That is a very good way!
Good points. Psalm 119:105
Thank you, JEC!
“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.“
👍🏻