“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.”
– Proverbs 21:2
We have an extraordinary ability to convince ourselves that whatever we’re doing or want to do is right. We can rationalize just about anything and we need to recognize that terrifying ability lest we be captured by it. As Christians, we even pick and choose Bible verses or popular teachers to twist Scripture and reassure ourselves that we’re in the right, that up is down, and that wrong is right (or that right is wrong if we’re trying to avoid doing something God wants).
God isn’t convinced by any of it! He isn’t convinced by sophistry, semantics, or sleight-of-hand. He isn’t distracted, persuaded, or worn down. God knows why we want to do what we want to do. And if what we want to do is sin, He knows that we want to do it because we are sinful. God knows your heart. He knows your mind. And He isn’t swayed by artful and false reasoning to justify any sin under the sun.
To live a life that truly follows Jesus, stop listening to your own persuasive reasons justifying sinful action or inaction. Get on God’s page instead! The best way to do that is to be a regular reader of the Bible. Don’t be content to let others read for you. Read God’s Word yourself every day, day after day, year after year. Each day, hold God’s Word up to yourself as a mirror. Are you doing what God plainly teaches and values or are you avoiding, evading, and ignoring God’s will and word?
Ask for God to speak to you through His word. Ask God to reveal to you how He sees your heart. Stop listening to yourself and stop listening to the culture as you and they argue for things clearly against God’s will. Listen to the Lord!