Fathers, Be Careful

There is a world of difference between being careful and being full of care.

Being careful is being responsible, alert, prudent and watchful. It positively says, “Why worry when you can pray?”

Being full of care is being anxious, fretful, worried, and restless in the mind and spirit. It pessimistically says, “Why pray when you can worry?”

We are instructed in the Bible not to be full of care, but we are also instructed to be careful.

We may see someone working on a steeply sloped metal roof on a rainy day and holler, “Hey! Are you crazy!? You better climb down from there before you fall down from there! And be careful!”

We may be planning a road trip, and caring friends and family may say, “Have a good time but be careful and be safe!”

If I’m carrying a coffee cup that is overfilled, Marlene will say sometimes, “Be a little careful or you will spill coffee on the carpet.”

In fifth grade, during recess, I was wandering around the playground at school acting like I had good sense, when I happened to venture into the tetherball area and got one right smack on the side of my head. A girl standing by said, too late to prevent the clobber, “Be Caraful!”

There are greater needs and greater issues of life which necessitate being careful. The most careful thing you can do is to listen to God as He speaks to us through His inspired writers, in this instance, Solomon.

Solomon said, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:20-27 (NASB)..

Being careful to guard our hearts is a critical matter and we can do so following the counsel of this wise man.

To Guard Your Heart:

I. BE CAREFUL TO WALK IN TRUTH:

A. Listen again to Solomon, “Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.”

1. I can still hear my dad saying, “I hate a liar! If I don’t want to tell you something, I’ll say, ‘It’s none of your business!’ but I won’t lie to you.”

2. And woe to any of his children who got caught in a lie.

B. God is a God of truth! God’s nature is truth! God also hates untruth!

1. “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.” Proverbs 12:22 (NASB).

2. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” Romans 1:18 (NASB).

3. “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” Ephesians 4:25 (NASB).

C. Be careful!

1. Be careful to be Truthful in actions.

a. Live by truth, match walk with talk, performance with profession.

b. Keep your promises.

c. Give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay and, conversely, give a full day’s pay for a full day’s work.

2. Be careful to be Truthful in self-assessment.

a. Admit to yourself your weakness and inadequacy.

b. Recognize your sin and don’t deny it.

3. Be careful to be Truthful in speech.

a. Unlike the father who told his son, “If you tell lies, a big purple monster with yellow teeth will come from the moon and take you away. Now you’ll tell the truth from now on, won’t you?”

b. Speak the truth, but speak truth in love. Unlike Lucy who said to Charlie Brown, “Are you willing to take some friendly criticism, Charlie Brown?” He said, “Why, of course! I’m not above that sort of thing at all! A little friendly criticism can be helpful to a person. What was it you wanted to say?” She said, “Well, you are kind of stupid.” that’s not speaking the thruth in love.

D. Be sure of this; one day all untruth will be exposed. Let me illustrate. The story is told of four high school boys who couldn't resist the temptation to skip morning classes. Each had been smitten with a bad case of spring fever. After lunch they showed up at school and reported to the teacher that their car had a flat tire. Much to their relief, she smiled and said, "Well, you missed a quiz this morning, so take your seats and get out a pencil and paper." Still smiling, she waited as they settled down and got ready for her questions.