Chasing phantoms?

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. (Abraham Lincoln)

Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live, or chase after phantoms of evil and die. (Proverbs 11:19 MSG)

We all stand for something or someone. We choose who or what we will 'stand for' each day. We either choose God, self, or others - our opinion, the opinion of others, or the wisdom of God. The choice is really quite simple to me, but I can struggle with listening too much to either the opinion of others or my own just a bit too frequently. How about you? Do you really choose God's wisdom over human emotion, opinion, or 'trending fad' as frequently as you'd like? Do you sometimes get swayed by media, popular opinion of your acquaintances, or other external source? I have learned to read the reviews for online products because the honesty of some will sway me away from making the purchase, or it will convince me that the product meets the highest standards I desire. When we look into God's Word, do we see it as the 'convincing source' we can trust to help us stand today? If we see it as no more than a 'good opinion' on a matter, we are not really convinced God's wisdom is our best foundation!

As Lincoln said, plant your feet right (in the right place - in what is trustworthy) and you have a firm foundation upon which to stand. Plant your feet in shifting public opinion and it is like you are walking in sand. As the next 'wave' comes, the sand beneath your feet will soon wash away and you are left constantly having to 'shift' your stance. God's Word never changes. It remains true - yesterday, today, and forever. We might listen to public opinion that says it is not relevant to today's decisions, but the premise of each command and 'boundary' set out within those pages can be applied to every decision we make today as well as it could be applied all those years ago when they were penned. There really is no 'surer' or 'safer' foundation upon which we can build our lives.

Stand with each other 'within the truth' of God's Word and you will find you have a community that is growing well, strengthened by each other's faith, and able to influence others because truth is a very 'influential' thing when it is lived out in our daily lives. Try to stand alone and you will find you have a little growth, some faith, and maybe you are an influence to a few who are in your immediate circle. Without truth, we chase phantoms of evil and the end result is death. Read that again - truth helps us see the lies of this world as they really are. We won't be prone to stand for any untruth when our hearts and minds are filled with truth. We are only as strong as our foundation - so make sure it is the right (best) foundation you are building upon. Without a strong foundation, you will be prone to believe every lie the enemy sends your way. Just sayin!