BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
“Wise people are careful and stay out of trouble, but fools are careless and quick to act” (Proverbs 14:16 NCV).
Most times when people, including Christians, are in trouble they blame the devil. Some even blame God! However, experience has shown that the devil or God is not the cause of some people’s problems. Not in all cases are demons to be cast out or deliverance to be done. This means that if we don’t recognize the real culprits we may be in these troubles longer than necessary or constantly find ourselves in problems.
Often, people are in trouble because of their decisions and actions. And it only takes self-examination and a review of our actions to escape from such problems.
I am not saying there are no demonic cases; there are certainly such. But not all cases are demonic. Some demons may be attracted to someone’s life when he gets into a problem and make him stay there longer than necessary but his problem may not start as demonic. I am talking about situations you can avoid or reverse by making the right decisions. “Wise people are careful and stay out of trouble, but fools are careless and quick to act” (Proverbs 14:16 NCV).
I want to discuss practical wisdom from the Word of God that will save you from needless trouble or minimize avoidable problems. The saints of old have tested these prescriptions and found them effective. There are also wise people today who have chosen to live by the prescriptions in God’s Word and are living peacefully. I am convinced they will work for you too.
Some prescriptions for staying out of trouble
1. Fear God. If you fear Him, you’ll obey His Word. Reverence for God will keep you from evil. This includes respect for and obedience to His word. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NKJV).
Make the Word of God final in your life. Run your life, marriage, business, etc. by His word and I can assure you that your life will be free from needless troubles. Any time you violate the Word of God, you open your life to troubles. We should obey God because we love Him but it also shows we love ourselves if we do. When you obey God, you’re not doing God a favour but yourself. His commandments are for our good (Deuteronomy 10:13). God gave you His Word to obey because He loves you and knows it will be well with you if you are obedient. 1 John 5:3b tells us that his commandments are not burdensome.
2. Have financial discipline. Many people are in financial trouble today because of wrong financial decisions not caused by the devil. The devil may have gotten involved later. Before you blame the devil, ask yourself honestly, “How did I find myself in this mess?”
Simple financial discipline will free some people from their financial trouble. Prayer is not working for them because they are not disciplined. What financial discipline can you adopt? Avoid impulsive purchases. Don’t spend the money you don’t have to buy what you don’t need. Avoid debt, especially on consumption (except for investment where necessary). If you owe, pay back as promised or agreed. Only the wicked borrows and does not pay back. “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives” (Psalm 37:21 NKJV). Live within your income; don’t live above your level. In 2 Kings 6:5, one of the sons of the prophets cried, “Alas master! For it was borrowed” (NKJV). Debts put serious pressure on you especially if it is not that you have invested it.
3. Always test people before you trust them. You can’t have the same trust you have for the tested and proved for somebody you’ve never tested and proved. David refused to use Saul’s armour in 1 Samuel 17:37–40 because he had not tested it. That was a wise decision to stay out of trouble. Instead, he put on God whom He had tested without failing him. Joshua trusted the Gibeonites and they deceived him (Joshua 9:3-26). A lot of people make this mistake and run into trouble. Don’t be naïve.
If someone you’ve not had any transaction with before asks you, “Don’t you trust me?” don’t feel guilty exercising caution just because you want to make him happy or feel good about himself. There’s nothing wrong with proving someone before you trust him. Even people you’ve been relating with before can betray you, not to talk of a total stranger or someone you’ve not had transactions with before. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV).
4. Love all, but don’t treat all the same. People are different and have different beliefs. Love is a commandment of God and not something about your choices or emotions. God says love, and you should. Even though you love somebody what he believes will affect how he relates to you. This is why the same Bible that says love everybody, also says don’t be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV). Many who violated this divine instruction have regretted it, especially in marriage. Don’t treat a non-Christian as if he were a child of God. Be careful so as not to suffer unnecessary injury.
5. Don’t stand guarantor or surety for somebody you’ve not proved. Many are in trouble today because they stood guarantors for somebody they did not know intimately and have not proven. This can be for a loan or bail bond. If you’re going to stand as guarantor, be sure that you know the person truly well. If not, be sure you have enough to repay the loan or face the consequences of his jumping bail! The Bible says in Proverbs 22:26-27, “Don’t promise to pay what someone else owes, and don’t guarantee anyone’s loan. If you cannot pay the loan, your own bed may be taken right out from under you” (NCV). This is because there is no rest for you if the person defaults. This is the cause of the troubles in some people’s lives. And God’s wisdom would have saved them from this.
Proverbs 11:15 warns, “Whoever guarantees to pay somebody else’s loan will suffer. It is safer to avoid such promises” (NCV). Some loan guarantors ended up repaying the loan. Don’t be sentimental by trying to be nice and put yourself in avoidable trouble.
6. Don’t violate other people’s rights, especially the rights of the underprivileged. There are four types of people in particular that God especially protects their interests. Make sure you don’t violate their rights. These are strangers, widows, the fatherless and orphans, and the poor and the needy.
You cannot be out of trouble when you violate other people’s rights. Not only does the law provide for and protect the individual’s rights, but God also hates a violation of people’s rights and will punish the oppressors and exploiters. Amos 4:1-2 says, “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring wine, let us drink!’ The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: ‘Behold, the days shall come upon you when He will take you away with fishhooks, and your posterity with fishhooks’” (NKJV).
The last of the Ten Commandments says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17 NKJV).
In Exodus 22:21-25, the Bible also warns “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest” (NKJV).
The Bible further warns in Deuteronomy 10:17-19, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (NKJV).
God is the Father to the fatherless, the defender of widows (Psalm 68:5). He, therefore, cautions in Psalm 82:3, “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy” (NKJV).
Hear what the Lord says he will do to those who oppress the underprivileged whom God is concerned so much about: “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed to rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless. What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall among the slain.’ For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still” (Isaiah 10:1-4 NKJV).
Maybe you’re saying but all these scriptures are in the Old Testament. Yes, understand that Jesus summarized the laws in the Old Testament into two: love God and love fellow human beings (Mark 12:28-31; Matthew 22:34-40). He even said you should love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35).
The standard of Jesus is even higher than that of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:27-28). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). If you love other human beings you won’t violate their rights, especially that of the underprivileged, just because you want to satisfy yourself.
Even in the New Testament, God’s concern for the widows is not in doubt. “Honor widows who are really widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God” (1 Timothy 5:3-4 NKJV). In verse 16, the Bible adds: “If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows” (NKJV).
Check your life. Have you violated people’s rights, especially those of these special categories of people I have mentioned? You have to repent and make amends today.
7. Never cheat. Avoid sharp practices. Don’t cheat in any area of your life, whether finances, marriage, or business. If you cheat, you’ll live perpetually in fear of being found out! Imagine somebody buying and selling stolen goods, expired or substandard products, etc. How can he have peace and joy when he is making others unhappy? Avoid doing business or illegitimate activities that put others in trouble or take advantage of them.
Proverbs 15:6 says “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble” (NKJV). You must repent today if you’re involved in such things and ask for God’s forgiveness. That is the only way for you to be divinely blessed. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). If you don’t repent and forsake your sin, be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23). It will catch up with you. God has already declared no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21). Make peace with the Lord today.
It is better to own up and suffer the shame now than to succumb to the terms of the devil’s blackmail. He will still expose you one day.
8. Respect contracts and agreements you willingly entered into and obey government laws. If you’re in the habit of breaking agreements and contracts, you’ll run into trouble one day or are already in trouble. Agreements and contracts are made to be honoured but some people had no intention of abiding by the terms before entering into such. That is not a good way to live.
Pay your house rent, telephone bills, vehicle licence fees, dues, and debts, and obey traffic lights and laws. Don’t issue a dud cheque. It is a criminal offence. Stop when the traffic light stops you. Many people run into trouble when they default in these areas. It is so simple that you don’t need to blame the devil if you run into trouble over such a small matter.
Why will somebody transact business with an organization or individual and not settle his indebtedness? Must he wait till he is taken to court? God cannot bless someone who causes another person pain. Some people have money but don’t want to pay. They’ll rather divert it to other businesses or waste it on pleasure while their creditors’ businesses suffer Pay up your debt to individuals, private ventures, or government agencies – debt is debt (Romans 13:6-8). Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar (Matthew 22:21). “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny” (Matthew 5:25-26 NKJV).
9. Don’t rebel against authorities. Subordinate yourself to your supervisors or superiors at home, work, etc. Those in authority – spiritual and temporal – are God’s servants, so rebelling against them amounts to rebelling against God. God will punish every rebellion. Don’t blame any demon when you are reaping the reward of your rebellion against authorities. Submit to the authorities God has placed you under and stay out of trouble (1 Peter 2:13-21; Romans 13:1-7).
The only reason to disobey authorities is when the authorities have gone against God or demanded you to do what violates the Word of God or the will of God for your life. In that case, you should obey God rather than men. “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’” (Acts 5:29 NKJV).
10. Control your tongue. Proverbs 21:23 says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (NKJV). A man who does not say anything, you can’t misquote him! Hardly will anyone be in trouble for saying nothing. People are usually in trouble for saying the wrong thing or for saying more than what is necessary. Know what to say and know when to stop. Don’t let your mouth put you in trouble! “Fools will be punished for their proud words, but the words of the wise will protect them” (Proverbs 14:3 NCV).
A wise man does not say all that is in his heart. It is a foolish man or immature person who says it as he sees it and says all he knows carelessly. “You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth” (Proverbs 6:2 NKJV). Jesus warned that by the word of your mouth, you are justified and by the word of your mouth you are condemned (Matthew 12:37).
It was the mouth of the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul and came to tell David that killed him. David told him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed’” (2 Samuel 1:16 NKJV).
A similar fate befell the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab, and Baanah, who also killed Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, and brought his head to David. David commanded his young men, to execute them (2 Samuel 4:4-12). Control your tongue – the mouths of those two brothers killed them!
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry (James 1:19). Control your tongue when you’re feeling angry. Don’t speak when you feel angry – you will most likely get yourself in trouble because you’ll say what you’ll later regret. The ability to control your tongue is an indication of spiritual maturity. “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2 NKJV).
11. Mind your business. Don’t get involved in matters that don’t concern you. Be careful not to be drawn into an issue that doesn’t affect you. Don’t be too eager to support a camp when you get anywhere or stand a witness or a judge. A man approached Jesus to tell his brother to give him his share of their father’s inheritance but Jesus refused to be drawn into that. He said, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14 NKJV). He knew he was not a judge over them. He had no anointing for that! He came to save souls not to share family inheritance!
In 2 Chronicles 35:20-24, King Josiah, a good king, died prematurely because he interfered in a war that didn’t concern him. Despite King Neco of Egypt’s assurance that he wasn’t his target, Josiah and his army marched out to fight him, and in the process, the enemy archers hit him with their arrows and wounded him. He later died.
Know what concerns you and what doesn’t concern you. If you get involved and you get yourself into trouble, it’s your fault. “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before” (1 Thessalonians 4:11 NLT). 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 also warns believers not to be going around interfering in or meddling in other people’s business but settle down, get to work and earn their living.
After Jesus told Peter how he would die, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” – referring to the disciple Jesus loved, believed to be John. Jesus replied, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me” (John 21:22 NKJV). Mind your business.
12. Control your emotions. Don’t let your emotions override your sense of judgment. Don’t let your emotions be the major determining factor making. Be led by the Spirit of God. Those led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). Emotions are unreliable; they change. Now you feel good and based on that you agree to a business deal and the next hour you don’t feel good again. What happens to the contract you signed when you were feeling good? Living based on your feelings or emotions is a low level of living. Listen to the Spirit of God and save yourself the trouble emotions can put you in. That is the genesis of many people’s problems today.
Conclusion: As I said earlier, not all problems are demonic. Therefore, prayer is not the panacea for the troubles that are not demonic. All you need to get out of or avoid some troubles is to apply the word of God. That is what wisdom is about – the application of the Word of God to solve life’s problems. Stop blaming the devil for your lack of wisdom; be wise today. If you apply these few points I have highlighted in this piece, I am sure you won’t be a victim of avoidable troubles in Jesus’ name.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
