Proverbs 4.25-27
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
The Navy SEALS operate from a core principle: Under pressure you do not rise to the occasion. You revert to your training. This is precisely the theme of the book of Proverbs. Commit to a life of disciplined training (musar) in order to gain wisdom (hokma) so that you are able to stay on path in response to the challenging situations you will experience in life.
The importance of paying attention to what you are doing and where you are going cannot be overstated. Your actions and habits have you on a path, and the path you are on leads to a destination. It’s very straightforward: Right path = good destination. Wrong path = bad destination.
Here is another translation of Proverbs 4.25-27 that makes it even more clear: “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. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”
The admonition to stay On-Path is repeated throughout the book of Proverbs. We will see it again and again as we continue to study this great book of Wisdom. The metaphor of a “path” or “way” is a vivid description of life.
Life is a journey, and throughout your journey you have made decisions about what path to follow. You are where you are today because of the decisions you have made. Situations arose, circumstances happened, and events occurred … and you made decisions about how to respond. And it is those response decisions that have brought you to where you are today.
Circumstances influence you, but your decisions define and direct you. Indeed, how you choose to respond is most important when the circumstances you face are most challenging.
This is a key part of the message here in Proverbs 4. In your journey through life, keep your eyes on the right path. Watch where you are going. Pay careful attention to what you are doing. Do not let your vision get distorted by challenging circumstances. Don’t get distracted or misdirected by difficult events.
Challenging situations are Defining Moments; that is, they are events or circumstances you face where your path through life is defined by what you choose to do. A Defining Moment is a decision point. It is a testing point. You are not defined by your circumstances; you are defined by how you respond to your circumstances.
Keep in mind that you are most vulnerable to making bad decisions when you are under pressure. You are most tempted to stray from the path when things get difficult. This is why Proverbs 4 says, “Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”
To summarize, the Navy SEALS operate from a core principle: Under pressure you do not rise to the occasion. You revert to your training. This is precisely the theme of the book of Proverbs. Commit to a life of disciplined training (musar) in order to gain wisdom (hokma) so that you are able to stay on path in response to the Defining Moments you will experience in life.
If you train, if you trust God and do the work, if you commit to the disciplined process of musar, then you will have the the wisdom, skill, and strength to respond to Defining Moments.
“Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.” (Proverbs 4.5-8)
