Draw Quicker, Shoot Straighter!

 

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:23–27 ESV).

 

When Mary and I moved back to Texas, nearly ten years ago now, one of the things we wanted to accomplish was for her to become comfortable with firearms. I like to shoot and we thought it would make another opportunity for a short outing together if she could learn to shoot and become licensed so that we could go to the range together. We found an excellent certified firearms instructor and both signed up for the course. As you can see from the picture, she became very proficient in the use of her pistol. We had quite a few outings to the range before our health began to interrupt the frequency of such outings.

 

Now, you may be wondering what this little story has to do with developing wisdom as our series continues. I often tell people that they must learn to “draw quicker and shoot straighter” in their effort to be all they want to be in their journey with Christ. The concept is that we have a great weapon in the Scripture. In fact, the Apostle Paul calls it the “sword of the Spirit” (cf. Ephesians 6:17). However, just like any weapon, if you are proficient in its use, it is not merely useless, it is also dangerous.

 

Regret is something that everyone struggles with. Depending on the situation or circumstances, the emotions of regret can linger for months or even years before one is able to refocus. Many of us are inclined to look back on what could have been or should have been. People can also tend to look behind them to “the good ol’ days,” when life may have seemed sweeter, simpler, and less frantic.

 

But whatever might cause us to fixate on the past, our reading today encourages us to look ahead. This is not because it’s bad or inappropriate to look back. We can learn a lot from our past mistakes, trauma, or the good times we enjoyed. However, Scripture calls us not to linger in the past but rather to glean from it (however long that takes) and then look ahead. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). This is wisdom. This is how we can draw faster and shoot straighter against our enemy! Read, study, understand, and practice using the Scripture!