Exercising Caution

Joshua 23:11 - "So be very careful to love the Lord your God."

Hebrews 3:12 - "See to it brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God."

As a Christian you must be careful not to let anything distract you from wholehearted devotion to God. Be cautious about anything in life that has the potential to damage your relationship with him.

Deuteronomy 4:9 - Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

Be mindful to remember all that God has done for you in the past so you don't become proud in the present and forget to rely on him for your future.

Hebrews 2:1 - "We must pay more careful attention therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not drift away."

Be careful to focus on the truths you read in Scripture and hear from godly teachers. When you don't focus on the road as you drive, you are at risk of drifting and putting your life in great danger. In the same way, when you don't focus on God's Word, you are in danger of drifting off the road that leads to a safe and happy destination. Your spiritual life will be in danger.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 - "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

You must be continually on your guard around temptation. The devil is constantly on the attack, trying to tempt you to sin against God. From time to time you will give in to sin but every human does. Exercising caution will cause you to be aware of when you are giving in so that you can recognise it, admit it and correct it. When you throw caution to the wind, you give in to temptation at every whim, and you are in danger of being completely ineffective for God.

Proverbs 4:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Guard your heart cautiously because it is the centre of your desires and affections. Your heart is especially vulnerable because it is easily swayed by emotion and becomes irrational. Being caught up with emotion causes your heart to urge you to do whatever it takes to keep those feelings wild and alive, even if those actions lead you to do something that could destroy you.

Hebrews 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,"

Be careful how you handle and manage your money. Money, more than pretty much anything in life is the root cause of damage to relationships and the compromise of our values.

We must also be cautious when giving and receiving advice. Receiving the right advice makes you wiser; giving the wrong advice causes others to stumble. Words are so very powerful as they reveal your true character and have the power to build others up or tear them down.

So essentially, there are lots of areas in our spiritual lives where we need to be cautious.