⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. ⁷Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. ⁸Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8

Recently, while in Florida with my daughter and her two children, I observed this in action. Actually, the opposite of this in action. Finley wanted to watch a movie but her mom told her she couldn’t. This didn’t seem good to her; her wisdom said a movie was fine right now. So she quietly took her iPad into the closet, shut the doors to the bedroom and the closet and started a movie for herself.

It took all of 30 seconds for Emily to notice the quietness of the room and the obvious absence of her children from the main living space. She quickly found the girls hiding away, watching their movie. It didn’t end well. There were tears, so many tears. It was a proud mama moment for me as I watched my daughter set boundaries for her children and then stick with them, even when Finley threw a fit.

Emily wasn’t trying to wreck Finley’s life by not allowing screen time. It was for her good, to benefit her. But in the moment, Finley didn’t trust that her mom had the best in mind for her. She trusted her own wisdom; she was impressed with herself for finding an alternative to obedience.

These verses are quite familiar — at least the first two. But I rarely read the last two. The reason I find it difficult to trust the Lord and seek him with my whole heart is because I’m impressed with my own wisdom. The consequences that come are often painful.

How are you tempted to lean into your own understanding? Impressed with your own wisdom you go astray and suffer in your body because of it?

It is never too late to turn around. That afternoon with the girls turned out to be really enjoyable. Before we knew it, they had turned the living room into a multi-room castle complete with princesses and dragons. It really was a better plan. I believe you can trust His plan for you too!