"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Proverbs 3: 5-7 (NAS)

By what standard do we live? We all live by some standard. For those of us who have chosen to follow Christ, we look to God's Word for our standard. Throughout Scripture we have multiple examples or right and wrong behavior and instructions on how to act and respond to those around us. It is much more natural to go with our feelings or be swayed by following what others are doing around us.

An eighteen year old recently told me very seriously that he knew a little about everything. He was dismayed when I responded that I would agree with him only as far as he knew a little about a lot of things. In his very narrow experience in life, he did not realize what a vast amount of what he does not know. I cannot help but think how often the Lord must consider me in the same way. No matter how many degrees I have and how much responsibility I am given, there is still so much that I do not see, know, or understand. Leaning on the Lord takes action and the willingness to accept our own limitations.

I take great encouragement in the words above from Proverbs 3:5-7. I do not need to know everything before making decisions but I can and should trust the Lord. By leaning on Him, my decisions are based upon His wisdom and not my very small finite understanding. How do we 'lean' on Him? Keeping an open line of communication is very important. Praying, reading Scripture, and staying aware of God's presence throughout the day are steps in the right direction. It is much easier to acknowledge Him when we are walking with Him daily