What Do You Think? Wednesday

“I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.”—Jeremiah 10:23

When you know better you do better, at least that what my mama says and that’s what should happen. But sometimes we know better and just don’t do better for a number of reasons:

• We may know better but not how to do better.
• We may know better but are afraid of the result of doing better.
• We may know better but like the result of not doing better.
• We may know better but don’t want the inconvenience that we think comes with doing better.

Or we may avoid doing better because we just want to remain in control, any change throwing off our well-working system. Sometimes avoidance is about control. Regardless of our reason, we are guilty of not doing better when we know better; there’s no way around that: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17). But how do we get over the obstacles we let stand in our way of doing what we know is right? How do we follow after righteousness and forsake sin?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Pray for wisdom and then follow it. That teaches us how to do better.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

God is always with us and won’t ever fail us. We can know that our outcomes will be divine because we have God’s power and provision. That should freeze our fear of doing better.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” (Ephesians 3:20).

We think we like best what we see but God can do far better than that. That shows us we’re likely to care more for the results of doing better.

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:33). When we ask God to order our steps according to His word, God’s ways and not our ways will be the order of the day. “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

That puts the convenience in our doing better.

Our way to doing better is a constant press. When we stop pressing, we stay the same or get worse. When we stop pressing we give Satan room to press into our path and wreak our lives. We have our place. We have our plan. We must press. We can press when we

listen to God;
let Him guide us; and
love God enough to follow and love others through Him.

Doing better when we know better is the Christian obligation. What are some other reasons we don’t do better even if we know better? How are you handling doing better because you know better? Please, let me know what you think.