Listen
What is God saying to you through the scriptures today?
Reflect
Have you ever caught yourself asking God to bless your latest project, idea, or plan, only to realize you hadn’t ever prayed for discernment or direction from God before you started down that path? Within each of us is an innate desire to be successful in life. We want to live with purpose and look back and know that we made a difference in the world. And as a Christ-follower, we desire to align our lives to a God-given purpose. Yet we also wrestle with a disconnect between what success in God’s Kingdom looks like compared to the world’s definition of success.
As we read through these wise principles of Proverbs 16, God’s promise of successful plans and direction for our lives are built on the values of honesty, humility, patience, fairness, and kindness, to name a few. These values don’t often align with our culture that accepts and celebrates progress by any means necessary, dishonesty as long as you don’t get caught, and prioritizing yourself over others. In order to align your life with God’s plans will require being counter-cultural, but that is where lasting success and purpose are truly found.
Pray
Before creating your task/to-do list today, spend time first in prayer. Ask God for direction and discernment over your plans; asking that your priorities would align with his priorities and values.
Do
Select one of the principles found within Proverbs 16, and commit to putting it into practice today. For example, you might select Proverbs 16:24 (Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.) and commit to intentionally speaking kind words to each of your family members today.