Proverbs Day 6

Proverbs 6:2-3a ~

Then you are trapped
     by your own words
And you are now in the power
     of someone else.

(Contemporary English Version)

Oh, how many times have I carelessly let words fall out of my mouth that I wish I could take back!

There are so many ways we can be trapped by our own words. The context of this verse is about locking yourself into backing someone else's debt when it's more than you could handle if it ended up your sole responsibility.

I think this can also be applied to being too quick to agree to do anything at the request of someone else. On the surface it may seem like they're not asking much, and you feel it is impolite to say no. However, we can get trapped into committing to things that are not God's calling for our lives. They may be good things, but not God things. If we over commit ourselves often enough, we get too busy to do anything about our own calling.

We should never be too hasty to agree to anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Can you remember a time where you impulsively agreed to do something requested of you, and later when it came time, found you really didn't want to do that thing? It's a miserable feeling to have to force yourself to do something you feel you should never have agreed to do.

We need to be careful to think before speaking at all times, but especially when we are committing to something. Commitment is an important thing to me. If I have given my word, it matters to me to do everything I can to keep it. Even if I should have never given it. The latter part of verse three tells us to seek to exclude ourselves from our agreement as quickly as we realize our error, if it is possible. Sometimes it's just not possible and you have to see the thing through. Let those times be a lesson to be more careful in the future.

God's word says that we need to let our yes be yes and our no be no. We need not worry about pleasing people when making our decisions. We just need to seek the Lord's direction. He may prompt us to say no, causing people to become upset with us. Just remember Jesus is your Lord, not any other human being, and people pleasing is a cancer that can eat us alive!

The bible also tells us that it is better to not make a vow at all than to make a vow and break it. God takes our words seriously, and when we speak hastily, we have to eat the fruit of it. All words carry great power. The good, bad, and those you really wish you could forget.

Let's be careful to not be hasty with our words so we can avoid getting ourselves caught in a trap.