The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. – Proverbs 16:17 (NIV)

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. – Proverbs 16:17 (KJV)

52 Proverbs in 52 Weeks – Week 37
This week’s theme:  God’s Life Hacks, simple Biblical truths to increase the fruitfulness and happiness of our lives.

God’s Life Hack:  Choose Paths that Avoid Evil

The highways of King Solomon’s day were important roads that connected major destinations, such as cities, trade centers, and ports.  These were paths that were frequently traveled.  Our verse for this week tells us that the paths most frequently traveled by “the upright” are paths that avoid evil.  The Hebrew word translated here as “upright” is derived from yashar, meaning just or straight, and it’s the same word used to describe Job in Job 1:1:
“…This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” (NIV)

Proverbs 16:17 is a great reminder that some “highways” lead to places we just shouldn’t go.  Every day we’re presented with choices that determine the paths we follow, and, unfortunately, many of the highways that are popular in today’s culture lead to sin.
– Watching inappropriate shows or videos
– Listening to inappropriate music
– Dishonesty…at home, at school, at our work places, or in our communities
– Inappropriate activities, such as smoking, drug use, alcohol abuse, and similar
– Being rude or unkind to others (just look at almost any social media feed if you doubt this one)
– And the list goes on…
Sadly, we’re often encouraged by those around us to choose these paths (side note:  that’s why Choosing Your Friends is so important…go back and read those!).  They might say “it’s no big deal” or “that’s what people do these days” or similar, but the truth is…God, the Creator of the universe, calls these things evil.  And…if we’re on paths that lead to evil, we can’t help but be influenced by the people and activities around us.

That’s why God’s Life Hack from Proverbs 16:17 is so important.  Every choice we make, no matter how small or how large it may seem at the time, determines the paths we follow.  If we want to be “upright,” then we must make a habit of avoiding roads that lead to sin and choosing paths that please our God.  The paths we frequently travel become our highways.  Let’s make sure our highways avoid evil.

Here’s a link to more verse posts on  God’s Life Hacks.

Follow us on Facebook & Twitter: