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There are a few ways we can look forward and make sure we are walking in wisdom down that path.
We are going to go to talk about Proverbs 4: 23-26 which says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.”
Proverbs 4:23-24 talks about guarding our hearts and mouths. The heart is the holder of our thoughts, emotions, and affections. We need to take note of all that we desire and hold them up to God’s word to see how they fit. We also need to be aware of the words we say. Words are powerful and really show our character.
We also need to be mindful of our quick impulse talk and they will really show where our emotional state of mind is instead of where our hearts might be.
If our desires don’t align with God's word, then we need to examine ourselves and adjust so that we are being wise and honoring God with what we say. The words we say and the things we do can help or hurt ourselves and others.
Matthew 15:8 says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Usually, if we say something, we believe it in our hearts and minds, so we need to discern our thoughts before speaking. We need to guard our hearts and not just let anything influence us or change what we think.
Next, Proverbs 4:25 talks about fixing our eyes on Jesus. Distractions grab our attention every day. They want to lead us astray from the path we have laid out and the wisdom that comes from knowing we need to stay on that path. In order to ignore those distractions, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. In Him, we can be confident that He will lead us to grow our faith in Him daily.
Philippians 4:8-9 says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."
Lastly, Proverbs 4:26 talks about watching our steps and being careful to stay on the safe path.
Life can really give us some missteps. I know that for me, I could have made different choices, stayed friends with people I shouldn’t have, and so on. But thankfully, God stepped in and showed me the path I was about to wander down was not a safe path. So, I was able to refocus on the path He had for me and stay the course that He guides me on.
So often, we get distracted by what we don’t have or feel we need, but we don’t need to focus on what is not available. Instead, we should focus on what is. We don’t need to focus on what is behind but focus on what is ahead. We need to keep looking forward and focus on God because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.