Why Comparison Will Wreck You | Proverbs 4

Comparison is the thief of joy. Distraction is the enemy of progress. 🛣️

In recovery, it’s so easy to look at the person next to us. "Why did they get their kids back so fast?" "Why do they look so happy?" But in Proverbs Chapter 4, Solomon gives us a strict order: "Look neither right nor left."

Welcome to Day 4 of "A Proverb A Day Keeps The Police Away." Today we are talking about FOCUS.

Solomon tells us to:

1️⃣ Sell Everything: Be willing to trade anything—your job, your pride, your toxic friends—to buy Wisdom.

2️⃣ Don't Take Step One: Don't play chicken with the "Wicked Way." If you see the street, take the detour.

3️⃣ Guard Your Heart: This is the engine room of your life. If you let resentment in, the car breaks down.

Stay in your lane today. Keep your eyes on your road.

👇 Watch the full breakdown below.

#SoberNotBoring #Recovery #Proverbs4 #GuardYourHeart #StayInYourLane #StreetSmarts #AddictionRecovery

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You can have the map, and you can havethe hustle, and you can trust your GPS.

(00:05):
But if you take your eyes off the roadfor one second, I mean we've all been
there, maybe to check a text or lookat a billboard or maybe to check out
what the driver next to you is doing.
You can still total your car.
Welcome to day four of a proverb a Day.
Keeps the police away.
My name is Robert and I'mglad you're here today.
Recovery requires aridiculous amount of focus.

(00:28):
Today in chapter four, Solomontells us that if we wanna survive,
we need to put our blinders on.
We need to guard our hearts likea fortress, and refuse to look
to the left or to the right.
So Solomon starts out herewith a business proposition.
He tells us to go all in, listen to thisin the message verses one through seven.

(00:48):
Listen friends to some fatherly advice.
Sit up and take notice sothat you'll know how to live.
So I'm giving good counsel.
Don't let it go in oneear and out the other.
When I was a boy at my father'sknee, the pride and joy of my mother,
he would sit me down and drill me.
Take this to heart, do what I tell you.

(01:09):
Live, sell everything, and buy wisdom.
Forage for understanding.
Don't forget one word.
Don't deviate an inch.
I love that phrase, selleverything and buy wisdom.
In active addiction, weliterally sold everything.

(01:29):
I know I did.
We pawned our tools, ourelectronics, our jewelry.
We liquidated our livesto buy a temporary high.
So what Solomon is saying here is keepthat same energy, but just be willing
to trade everything for recovery.
If your job is threateningyour sobriety, sell it.

(01:50):
if your relationship is toxic, sell it.
If your pride is in the way, pawn it.
Nothing in your life is morevaluable than your sanity.
Write that at the top of your list.
Next.
He talks about avoidingthe wrong neighborhood.
This is for anybody who thinksthat they can handle just one
visit to the old playground.

(02:10):
Never walk away from wisdom.
She guards your life.
Love her.
She keeps her eye on you.
Above all, and beforeall, do this, get wisdom.
Write this at the top of your list.
Get understanding.
Throw your arms around her.
Believe me, you won't regret it.
Never let her go.

(02:31):
She'll make your life glorious.
She'll garland your life with grace.
She'll festoon your days with Beauty.
Dear Friend, take my advice.
It will add years to your life.
I'm writing out cleardirections to wisdom way.
I'm drawing a map to Righteous road.
I don't want you ending up in blind alleysor wasting time, making wrong turns.

(02:56):
Hold tight to good advice.
Don't relax your grip.
Guard it well, your life is at stake.
Don't take wicked bypass.
Don't so much as set foot on that road.
Stay clear of it.
Give it a wide berth, makea detour and be on your way.
Uh, verse 14, don't take thefirst step on the Wicked way.

(03:20):
Notice the specific instruction here.
Don't take the first step.
He doesn't say, don't take the 10th step.
He says, don't even start walking.
We don't relapse when we pickup the drink or the drug.
We relapse when we decide to drivedown the Old Street, you know,
just to see what's happening.
We relapse when we unblock thenumber from our old dealer.

(03:44):
Solomon is telling us here,don't play chicken with evil.
If you know that that streetleads to trouble, take the detour.
Don't test your willpower.
Trust your boundaries.
And here it is, the heavyweight championsection of Proverbs chapter four.
If you only remember one thingfrom today, remember this part.

(04:05):
Evil people are restlessunless they're making trouble.
They can't get a good night's sleep unlessthey've made life miserable for somebody.
Perversity is their food and drinkviolence, their drug of choice.
The ways of right livingpeople glow with light.
The longer they live, the brighterthey shine, but the road of

(04:28):
wrongdoing gets darker and darker.
Travelers can't see a thing.
They fall flat on their faces.
Dear friend, listen well to my words.
Tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message inplain view at all times.
Concentrate.
Learn it by heart.
Those who discover these wordslive, really live body and soul.

(04:51):
They're bursting with health.
Keep vigilant, watch over your heart.
That's where life starts.
Don't talk outta both sides of your mouth.
Avoid careless banter,white lies and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead.
Ignore all the sideshow distractions.
Watch your step and the roadwill stretch out smooth before

(05:15):
you Look neither right nor left.
Leave evil in the dust.
Oh, I love this part here.
Guard your heart for thatis where life starts.
Your heart is your engine room.
If you start letting things like,you know, resentment or anger or
jealousy, get into that engine.
The whole car starts to break down.

(05:36):
You gotta stand guard at the door ofyour emotions, kind of like a bouncer.
And then he says, ignore allthe sideshow, distractions.
In recovery.
We love to look at other people.
Like, why is he gettinghis license back before me?
Why does she look so happy?
Or why don't I have a girlfriend?
Like so and so?

(05:57):
You get the idea.
Stop looking left.
Stop looking right.
Stay in your lane.
Comparison is the thief of joy indistraction is the enemy of progress.
so the takeaways here for dayfour to keep the police outta your
life are number one, go all in.
Be willing to sell everythingto keep your peace.

(06:19):
Number two, don't take stepone if the road looks shady.
Don't even walk on it.
Get on that detour right now.
And number three, stay in your lane.
Guard your heart and stop lookingat everyone else's recovery.
I'll see you tomorrow for day five,we're gonna be talking about the
honey trap and why easy pleasureusually leads to a hard time.

(06:42):
If you're staying in your lane today,drop a road emoji in the comments,
subscribe to this series and maybeshare it with a friend who might
need a little encouragement today.
And remember, stay sober, not boring.