One's Own Deception

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.- Proverbs 14:8.


When a man or woman walks with the Lord in truth they know God and are known by Him. When that same man or woman falls into deception and is drawn away by their own lusts into behaviors or thoughts that are not truthful, they begin to pull away from the One that has given them life and sustains their spirit. There are many ways to be drawn away from godliness today, none the lest of which begins with pride or a lie that says my way is more fair for me than God's ways. I must not allow myself to fall into the trap of self-indulgent thoughts or behaviors that lift me up either through self-pity or prideful foolishness. I must maintain the practice of humility in following my Lord and not be a self-promoter for the Kingdom of Me.

James 3:18-20 tells us the following:

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

  
¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹ Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. ²³ And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Humility says my Lord and others come before me and my life is to be lived as a servant of the Creator of All Life. To follow the example set by my Savior when living upon this earth. I cannot walk away from Him and follow after my own ways without disastrous results for my life and others around me. I must live my life for His glory not mine.

Let us be always mindful of the words from James, chapter 1:
²¹ Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
²⁶ If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Give Him all glory and keep your life in short account, remembering whose and who we are.