SEVEN THINGS TO AVOID

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Proverbs 6:16-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If someone were to ask you what the Lord hates, the easy answer would be any sin with sin being defined as any behavior that violates God’s word or will.

As we look at these four verses from Proverbs, Chapter 6, we find Solomon getting a little more specific regarding behaviors despised by God, behaviors we all are being warned to avoid. Let’s look closely at these seven detestable actions:

1. Haughty eyes.

Haughty isn’t a word you see used very often. Here are some words that other translations use (I draw my text daily from the NIV version):

King James Version, New Century Version, Good News Translation – proud

Holman Christian Standard – arrogant

Common English Bible - snobbish

and The Amplified Bible offers this expansion: a proud look (the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others)

That pretty sums this up, doesn’t it. For one who looks on another in a prideful way that trends toward arrogance and snobbishness, in a way that sees others as less while seeing them as far more superior, this is the person who exercises behavior the Lord detests.

Now the questions are, “Have you ever done this?” or “Are you doing this today?”

God’s word is clear. How we look at another will impact our relationship with Him and how He favors what we’re doing.

2. A lying tongue.

This one is pretty easy. God hates any behavior that seeks to deceive others, especially when it’s through spoken words.

What makes lying particularly bad is that it preys on the trust of the person being deceived. I know at least for me, my life attitude about dealing with people is that you are trusted until proven untrustworthy. I think I at least owe that to the people I deal with and I see it as fair. Why should I not trust someone without fully knowing whether or not they are truly dishonest? Further, if I am tuned into the Lord as I should be, isn’t He going to expose anyone who attempts to pull one over on me? His word promises that what is done in the dark will be brought into the light and I trust that word.

In fact, it’s that very truth that should deter any of us from lying. For if God knows what is done in the dark, if He is aware of any sins that are being conjured against another, and we know He particularly loathes sinful behavior, and in particular lying, then why would we ever do it in the first place? Why would we even consider it?

This is why I love when the Bible doesn’t hem and haw around matters like sin. Spell out what God hates, convict us of our wrongs before Him, and deter us from either repeating or instituting the behavior in the future.

This is what moves us toward righteousness and living as the Lord wishes.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood.

Every day we read about this. It wasn’t just an Old Testament issue that Solomon had to address.

Of all the seven things covered in this passage, perhaps this is the hardest one to try to deal with. For I don’t know about you but I find myself angered whenever I read of any instance where a person chose to take the life of another just for the sake of doing it. A current headline involved a group of young people killing a young adult because, by their admission, they were bored. It’s incomprehensible to me.

I mean, how can any human being lose the value of a life in such a way that they choose to kill someone? I just can’t fathom it and for good reason, I guess. For you can’t rationalize the irrational, no matter how hard you try.

In the end, God is God. He brought us into the world and it is His right and His right alone to say when our life will end. It’s little wonder He abhors any murder, but particularly when an innocent person is slaughtered.

4. A heart that devises wicked schemes.

Go back to the second item on this list. A person who lies is doing so intentionally. In their heart and mind, they know they are not telling the truth. Such an action meets this definition, a heart devising wicked behavior, but it is far from the only behavior that fits the bill. In fact, this happens more than we might want to admit.

It doesn’t have to be as heinous an act as planning to murder someone. Perhaps the devising involves stealing from someone or duping someone out of their money or plotting how to smear someone to gain a personal advantage (insert a lot of what goes on in politics here).

The bottom line from God’s word on this matter is this: If you are scheming in a way that is leading toward sinful behavior, stop it. He hates it and He sees what you’re up to. Further, He will correct it and render consequence in response to it. Frankly, there are more positive plans He wishes you to make, plans that will edify and lift others up vice damage them in some way.

5. Feet quick to rush into evil.

Sin has a way of quickly placing our desires ahead of God’s will. We seem to quickly fall into behavior we know is displeasing to God before pausing to seek Him and the strength we need to withstand the temptation in the first place. And as we discover through this being on “the list”, God is angered by such an approach to life.

Friends, the word of the Lord is clear here. Stand firm and immovable when it comes to your obedience to Him, His word, and His will. If you stay acutely tuned into Him, He will keep you from running or jumping into anything that is transgressionary. Know and trust in that.

6. A false witness who pours out lies.

Think about the ramifications of those who chose to falsely accuse Jesus and Stephen of blasphemy. Each ended up executed although completely innocent. With this, is it such a surprise that He would find dales witnessing deplorable? Think about that the next time you try and discredit someone by spreading mistruths about them.

7. A person who stirs up conflict in the community.

It seems that I’ve encountered at least one person who would qualify as an agitator everywhere I have ever worked in life. These people were never satisfied with a peaceful work environment but always sought to conjure up some form of battle either between two or more people or between a person or persons and themselves. They were the people who would always seek to pick a fight with someone, debating any and all issues and seeming to take pleasure in adopting the opposite viewpoint from the one another had just for the thrill of the disagreement it would spawn.

As we read, the Lord hates this behavior. The Prince of Peace expects that we be like Him in every way and this is really where the rubber meets the road across all the items covered today.

- Seek Christ looking to live as He did in every way, and you will not be a person who sees others with an arrogant eyes but rather a person of humility.

- Seek Christ and you won’t lie to another or bear false witness because you will be walking with the One who is THE truth (John 14:6).

- Seek Christ and you will never come close to shedding innocent blood because you will love others to the degree that Jesus did, and that means being willing to die yourself for another vice needlessly take another’s life.

- Seek Christ and you will never be scheming wickedly, only responding in obedience to the Lord’s plans for your life and what He wants you to do to make a difference in the lives of others.

- Seek Christ and you will always be standing with Him on the grounds of righteousness, far from traveling on any path of evil.

and finally,  

- Seek Christ and you will be seen as a bridge builder vice a relationship damager within your home and within your community.

Let’s give thanks for the word of the Lord today as it seeks to deter us from the things God hates, urging us to avoid sinfulness while moving us toward Him and His holiness, a holiness He longs for all of us to have.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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