Be Careful

When my kids all learned to drive and got their drivers license, these are two words that automatically came out of my mouth when they left the house. I still find myself saying this to them when they are home for a visit and driving back to where they live. It may seem that I’m assuming that they aren’t careful. I am way more concerned with how others drive than how they drive, but I do want them to be alert when traveling.

I see the word “careful” as really close to the word “cautious”. I think when I can control my actions with some forward thinking; my behavior is usually much wiser. If I “throw caution to the wind”, I’m usually setting myself up to make mistakes or even cause harm to myself or someone else.

King Jehu was cleaning house of the Baal worshippers. The Lord had had enough of them and he wanted the entire house of Ahab and Jezebel destroyed. Jehu carried all of this out. I was impressed with this man as king and God was pleased. Unfortunately Jehu didn’t follow wholeheartedly. Check this out…

30 The Lord said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.’ 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit. (2 Kings 10:30-31 NIV)

I was reminded of a little song I learned as a small child, but it has stuck with me.

Oh be careful little eyes what you see….

Oh be careful little hands what you do….

Oh be careful little feet where you go…

For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful what you see, do & go.

I’ve never thought much about how careful I need to be in following the Lord. I do try to follow Him daily, but I need to be careful and watch out for the enemy who is out to destroy me. I can become self-centered and go for what I want rather than being God-centered and following Him with my whole heart.

I need to be careful with my actions today. I need to keep my thoughts clean and pure. I need to turn all of my struggles over to the Lord – He will help me walk out my faith in Him. He will help me to grow in my trust of Him.

Pressing On!

Dwayne