Proverbs 5:22-23

An evil man will be caught [captured] in his wicked ways; the ropes of his sins will tie him up. He will die because he does not control himself [literally without discipline/instruction], and he will be held captive [or intoxicated; inebriated] by his foolishness [stupidity]. [EXB]

He will die without instruction.

How many today are not living life well due to a lack of instruction and therefore a lack of discipline?

Very few people I meet had a good success model at home. Very few have been trained to live well.  In our increasingly impersonal society, we are losing relational brain skills and, consequently, the ability to have relationships with much depth, let alone conversations with any meaning beyond weather and sports.

May we be the change we want to see.

Perhaps one or some of you need to start instructing others. Whether it be mentoring, teaching a class, being an example, spending time with someone…There is a great deficit in instruction and discipline on living life well, on living in God’s kingdom on earth.

What makes a good person is a heart of love for God and others.

People don’t know what they don’t know. We don’t ask the blind person at the art gallery why they’re not looking at the beautiful paintings on the wall.

People do not live well  for one of three reasons:

Ignorance.

Weakness.

Rebellion.

If ignorance, they must be taught.

If weakness, they must be strengthened.

If rebellion, they must feel natural consequences.

If people do not feel natural consequences, or have their heart regenerated by God, or see a better life and the way to it, they will not change.

Why would they?

Mark 7:6-9

Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right when he spoke about you hypocrites. He wrote, ‘These people show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are nothing but human rules.’ You have stopped following the commands of God, and you follow only human teachings.” Then Jesus said to them, “You cleverly ignore the commands of God so you can follow your own teachings.” [NCV]

What a great commentary on what has happened in our Americanized pseudo Christianity.

There’s God.

There’s God’s commands.

Point to Him.

Point to His commands.

Do this mostly by example.

Stop.

Repeat.