If You Are Not Persuaded You Will Be Persuaded

Proverbs 7:1
My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.

Proverbs 7:21
With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk

If you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything. If you have no firm decisions, you will accept anything even that which harms you. If you are not persuaded about something then anyone will persuade you even to harm yourself. If you are firm on something you will be firm on anything that tempts and challenges you. It is important that you are persuaded so that not just anyone and anything persuaded you. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Proverbs 7:1-4 emphasizes the need to be persuaded. Solomon tells the son (a general reference to all his children both male and female and anyone who cares to listen) to keep and store the advice he gives him. Words of wisdom are not just read or listened to, they are cherished, loved, and kept safe from loss and theft. Keep and store wisdom. For you to keep and value wisdom it means you are persuaded that it will help you. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Proverbs 7:1-4 emphasizes a close tight relationship with wisdom. Keep it. Guard it. Bind it. Write them in your heart. Call wisdom your sister and your relative. With that kind of relationship, you will never let wisdom go. Sons had a responsibility to guard their sisters against other men, Song of Songs 8:8-9. A son would guard the sister from bad men, rapists, tempters, liars, etc. The reputation of your sister is the reputation of your family. The reputation of your sister will fetch you good money as dowry. Guard your sister. Proverbs 7:4 guard wisdom like your sister and relative. Your first responsibility is to your relatives, 1 Timothy 5:8. Treat wisdom like your relative. That means you are totally persuaded that it is good for you. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

You guard and keep wisdom because it will be challenged and if you are not careful you can give up on it. In wisdom, you decided to focus on your studies and not pleasure. That wisdom will be challenged. In wisdom, you avoid drug abuse, the use of alcohol, and tobacco. That wisdom will be challenged. In wisdom you save and invest money for a better tomorrow. Temptations to spend will challenge that wisdom. In wisdom, you choose to be faithful to your spouse. That wisdom will be challenged by needs in you or by outside attraction. Every good wisdom is challenged. That wisdom will be challenged by your peers and by what you see around. Keep that wisdom. Guard that wisdom. Bind that wisdom, treat that wisdom like a sister and a relative, prove that you are persuaded that it is good for you. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

You will be tempted to believe that your choices are backward, poor, and archaic. Even if your relatives are backward, poor, and archaic you don’t give up on them. Treat wisdom as your sister and relative. However poor it is made to look like, do not give up on wisdom. Be so persuaded about the wisdom that no one else will persuade you otherwise. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Wisdom is what you have soberly thought through from cause to effect. Wisdom is what the Bible tells us to do. Wisdom is what you can prove it is biblical. Wisdom is what parents, guardians, and caring people guide us to do and doesn’t conflict with scriptures. Wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others so that we do not repeat them. Wisdom is not popular and short-lived, it is consistent throughout. Wisdom is not a short cut to success, it is a sure way though long. Wisdom has always worked therefore it is valued.

Have wisdom guiding your spiritual life. Have wisdom on how to go about your academic work. Have wisdom guiding your finances. Have wisdom on healthful living. Have wisdom on how to relate with people. That wisdom will be challenged by people both friends and others. That wisdom will be challenged by books you read. That wisdom will be challenged by online careless articles. That wisdom will be challenged by social media forwards and memes. That wisdom will be challenged by TV shows, novels, and even adverts. That wisdom will be challenged by preying preachers. Unless you keep that wisdom, guard it, bind it, and treat it like a relative you can’t change, you will lose it. Be so persuaded that no one else will persuade you otherwise. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Proverbs 7:21 talks of a youth whose life was destroyed. The problem began when he was persuaded to go the wrong way. He was persuaded because he had not kept wisdom, guarded wisdom, or bound wisdom. He was persuaded to go the wrong way because he did not treat wisdom like a sister and relative that you do not let go. He was persuaded by evil because he was not persuaded by wisdom. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Many people are failing in life because they are persuaded by anything and everything. They lack conviction and commitment. Anything is ok. Therefore their lives are directionless and confused as they try everything even opposing ideas. Such people are moral and immoral. Such people save money then suddenly waste it on poor purchases. Such people start the school year with a serious focus on studies, then suddenly midway abandon studies and sink in pursuits of pleasure. They are at one point committed to a relationship, the next time they are unfaithful. They attend church then suddenly backslide. Nothing consistent, because nothing has persuaded them, therefore, everything persuades them. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

It is childish both spiritually and otherwise to be convinced by anything and everything. Have one wise way of life. Be so persuaded that lies will not persuade you. Apostle Paul tells Ephesians that lack of persuasion will make them be tossed back and forth. How many lives are tossed back and forth? From a good relationship back to the ex-friend who caused them pain. From teetotaler back to drug abuse that almost cost their income and life. From good investment to pyramid schemes of quick profits dream but sure loss. From good church to entertainment centered worship. From sober beliefs of fundamentals to extreme views of offshoots who masquerade as knowing better than everyone else. If you are not persuaded by something good, everything even the harmful will persuade you. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

A wise man changes his mind. Changes his mind from good to better. Changes his mind after wide consultations. Changes his mind after verifying it is biblical. Changes his mind not frequently but once in a blue moon. Wise men are not tossed about by anything and everything. Wise men are persuaded by something not everything. If you are not persuaded you will be persuaded!

Dear God, grant me wisdom in spiritual life, social life, academic life, physical life, and financial life. Grant me wisdom that though hard to follow it will surely yield to great success. Grant me wisdom that I will be so persuaded about, that my life will be defined by consistency to it. Save me from being tossed back and forth foolishly. May I keep this wisdom, store it, guard it, bind it, and treat it like a sister and relative. May I live a persuaded life, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

GOODNEWS: Our website reikesis.com has two new features beginning today. (1)On your bottom right corner is a link that will enable you to communicate to us through WhatsApp, try it. (2) At the top right of the website is a place that can change the site and articles to any of the many major languages on earth. You can now read our articles in various major languages. Visit reikesis.com today and give us feedback. Be blessed!