Breaking free
Proverbs 6:1-5
My son, if you have put up security for your friend,
if you committed yourself on behalf of another;
2 you have been snared by the words of your mouth,
caught by the words of your own mouth.
3 Do this now, my son, and extricate yourself,
since you put yourself in your friend’s power:
go, humble yourself, and pester your friend;
4 give your eyes no sleep,
give your eyelids no rest;
5 break free, like a gazelle from the [hunter’s] trap,
like a bird from the grip of the fowler.
Beginning chapter six things begin to get a bit more interesting. All of a sudden it isn't just positive, "Follow wisdom and LIVE." Chapter six begins strong with an admonition:
IF you have put up security for your friend... extricate yourself! Break free!
We so often think that we need to continue to help someone. We often believe that it is our "duty" to be there because they might need us. "He is my friend, so I have to help him."
These verses give us the option (and actually tell us) to walk away and to "break free."
These verse do not tell us we shouldn't put up security for a friend, but it definitely throws caution to the concept. If we connect ourselves to someone else we can get, "caught by the words of our own mouth."
As we continue in chapter six we will gain more insight into how all of this can happen. For now, stop and think about connections you have. Reflect on them and see if there are any you should "walk away from." If God is in the middle of it, than okay. However, if you sense that God is not, don't stay! Free yourself from someone who could do harm.
These are not easy words to hear. We want to give. We want to help. But, if the wisdom from Adonai says otherwise, we should LISTEN and find LIFE. Getting set free is LIFE.
Love and blessings,
Rose
Women Empowerment based on Torah and the Bible
