Stop Grabbing The Steering Wheel | Proverbs 3

You’re driving 100mph. Do you even know where you’re going? 🚗💨

In active addiction, I wanted to be the driver, the navigator, and the mechanic. I thought I knew the shortcuts. I thought I had it all under control... right up until I crashed.

We have a saying in the recovery community: "My best thinking got me here."

Welcome to Day 3 of "A Proverb A Day Keeps The Police Away." Today we are reading Proverbs Chapter 3, and Solomon is calling us out on our control issues.

He gives us the ultimate recovery GPS:

1️⃣ Stop Grabbing the Wheel: Verse 5 says don't rely on your own "sense." If you keep overriding the GPS, you’re going to end up in a ditch.

2️⃣ First Things First: Stop giving your addiction your "first and best" and giving your family the leftovers. Flip the script.

3️⃣ Embrace the Burn: When life gets hard, it’s not punishment. It’s training. God is getting you ready for the long haul.

Let go of the wheel today. Let someone else drive.

👇 Watch the full breakdown below.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You can have the map andyou can have the hustle.

(00:03):
But if you're driving a hundredmiles an hour in the wrong direction,
you're not making progress.
You're just getting lost faster.
Welcome to day three of a proverb a day.
Keeps the police away.
My name is Robert.
Happy to have you a long today.
You know, in active addiction,we ran on self-will.
We did what we wanted when we wanted.
Today in chapter three, Solomon dropsthe hammer on our need for control.

(00:27):
He basically says, your bestthinking got you into this mess.
Maybe it's time youlet someone else drive.
this is probably one of the morefamous sections in the whole
Bible, but the Message versionmakes it hit a little different.
Let's check out the first few verses here.
Good friend, don't forget all I'vetaught you take to heart my commands.

(00:48):
They'll help you live a long, longtime, a long life lived full and well.
Don't lose your grip on love and loyalty.
Tie them around your neck.
Carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well inGod's eyes and the eyes of the people.

(01:09):
Trust God from the bottom of your heart.
Don't try to figure outeverything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everythingyou do, everywhere you go, he's
the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God.
Run from evil.
In the rooms around the recovery tables.

(01:31):
We hear this all the time.
My best thinking got me here.
And that's exactly whatverse five is talking about.
Don't try to figure outeverything on your own.
Think of it like A GPS.
When the GPS says Turn right andyou say, nah, I know a shortcut.
You usually end up in a deadend or a bad neighborhood.

(01:53):
Surrender isn't weakness.
Surrender is just admittingthat God can see the traffic
ahead of you and you can't.
So if you wanna stay out of the ditch,just stop grabbing the steering wheel.
Next.
Solomon talks about our resources.
And man, I'm telling you right now,this one's gonna step on some toes.
Your body will glow with health.

(02:14):
Your very bones will vibrate with life.
Honor God with everything you own.
Give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst.
Your wine vats will brim over.
We call this first things first.
Back in the day, the dealergot our first dollar.

(02:35):
The liquor store or the bar got ourfirst hour We gave our addiction
the first and the best, and wegave our families the leftovers.
Recovery though, flips the script on that.
We honor God first.
We hit the meeting first.
We take care of our sobriety first.
When you start to prioritizethe right things, life starts

(02:55):
to overflow with the good stuff.
Not just money, but like trust andpeace and you know, self respect.
Finally, chapter three tells ushow to handle it when things get
hard, because they always get hard.
So here we go, but don't, dearfriend, resent God's discipline.

(03:15):
Don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects.
A Father's delight is behind all of this.
You're blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,when you make friends with Madam Insight.
She's worth far morethan money in the bank.
Her friendship is betterthan a big salary.

(03:37):
Her value exceeds allthe trappings of wealth.
Nothing you could wishfor holds a candle to her.
With one hand she gives long life, andwith the other she confers recognition.
Her manner is beautiful.
Her life wonderfully complete.
She's the very tree of lifeto those who embrace her.

(03:59):
Hold her tight, and be blessed.
With Lady Wisdom God formed Earthwith Madam Insight he raised Heaven.
They knew when to signal riversand springs to the surface and dew
to descend from the night skies.
Dear friend, guard, clear thinkingand common sense with your life.

(04:20):
Don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and well,and they'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely.
You'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoonnaps without a worry.
You'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms orsurprises or predictions that doomsday

(04:42):
is just around the corner becauseGod will be right there with you.
He'll keep you safe and sound.
Never walk away fromsomeone who deserves help.
Your hand is God's hand for that person.
Don't tell your neighbor maybe someother time, or Try me tomorrow when the
money is right there in your pocket.

(05:04):
Don't figure out ways of takingadvantage of your neighbor when he's
sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.
Don't walk around witha chip on your shoulder.
Always spoiling for a fight.
Don't try to be like those whoshoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
"Well, why not?" you say.
Because God can't stand twisted souls.

(05:27):
It's the straightforwardwho get his respect.
God's curse blights the houseof the wicked, but he blesses
the home of the righteous.
He gives proud skeptics a coldshoulder, but if you're down on
your luck, he's right there to help.
wise, living gets rewarded with honor.
Stupid Living gets the Booby prize.

(05:50):
You know, early recoverycan feel like a beat down.
You're feeling emotions.
You've numbed for years.
Consequences are catching up to you.
I know it can be easy to scream at thesky, like, why is this happening to me?
Solomon says, don't resent thediscipline when you're in the

(06:10):
gym and your muscles are burning.
That's not an injury, that's growth.
So if life is squeezing you rightnow, God isn't punishing you.
He's training you, he's delightingin the fact that you're finally
strong enough to handle the workout.
So the takeaways from today's chapterto keep the police outta your life
are this, number one, trust the GPS.

(06:34):
Your best thinking is broken.
Listen for God's voice.
Number two.
First things first.
Stop giving your addiction thefirst and the best of your life.
Give that to your recovery.
And number three, embrace the burn.
The hard times aren't punishment.
They're training.

(06:54):
So I'll see you tomorrow forday four, we're gonna be talking
about guarding your heart.
and if you're ready to let goof the steering wheel today.
Drop a car emoji or the prayer handsin the comments subscribe, share
with a friend who might need a littleencouragement today and stay sober.
Not boring.