Day 9- Courage To Stand Up

Bible Reading: Proverbs 26:1-28

Usually in every meeting or family, there is that person that will just ‘say it as it is.’

If the Bible was a family, then Proverbs is that uncle that doesn’t ‘look at face’ to talk. While others are being diplomatic and looking for how to tell you the truth without hurting your feelings, Proverbs will sit you down and tell you the truth without even remembering that you have feelings.

We read Proverbs and are confronted with a lot of blunt truths. Today, there’s a huge sense of responsibility over our lives that I pray we walk out of the conversation with.

A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
 a fierce lion roaming the streets!” Proverbs 26:13 NIV

In a day and age like ours, it doesn’t take anything special to live a life full of excuses- because there are actually many odds against us that we can give as excuses.

The reality is that systems are not right or ideal, people are evil, governments are corrupt, economies are bad, and so on.

There’s always that thing you can point at as a ‘reason’ for you being impeded.

When we buy that ‘excuse mode’, we then start to live a laid down, lazy life:

As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed. Proverbs 26:14 NIV

But very bluntly, Proverbs looks you in the eye and says that  buying the excuses is being a sluggard!  A sluggard is defined as a ‘lazy and sluggish person’. I really never liked being called lazy. It has a stinging effect. 

Do you ever feel misunderstood? Like maybe he’s calling you a sluggard because he really didn’t hear you out well enough?

Why would I be called lazy for ‘staying safe’ and staying indoors when there is actually a ‘fierce lion’ on my street?  God has not brought us here to stay safe. He has brought us here to be audacious, to stand up in responsibility and defy odds, because we are focused on who is for us, not what is against us.

I’ll tell you the truth: at every point in your life, there’ll be what is against you as well as what is for you. A life full of excuses is simply one focused on what is against it. People that are audacious are focused on God who is for them.

As we wait on God today, let’s be drawn away from focusing on the lions and let’s focus on God anew. Let’s be drawn into the courage to stand up in responsibility in the line of calling and purpose.

Something To Pray

The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. Proverbs 26:15 NKV

Would you pray today against every form of laziness in you – being focused on excuses, sluggishness, aborting processes, and so on, and ask the Lord to fill you with courage to stand up to responsibility against all odds.