Toure Roberts - It's Complicated

Let’s look at Proverbs chapter 2. We’ll read the first nine verses in Proverbs chapter 2. For me, Proverbs is part of my daily wellness routine. I take my life seriously; I take my soul seriously; I take my mind seriously; I take my body seriously; I take my spirit seriously. Over time, this has made me very disciplined, as I recognize that discipline and consistency are necessary for us to become what Psalm 1:3 describes: that tree that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf will not wither, and whatever that person does will prosper. I realize that I cannot be me if I am not consistently practicing the disciplines that make me who I am. So, Proverbs has become a part of that process. I do other things; I meditate, I read, I pray. I have this long, six-page prayer that I recite because I have many responsibilities, and I want to cover everything daily. I wrote it out for two reasons: one, to cover those things, but also to remind me who I am because that’s what your prayer life is supposed to do. Your prayer life is meant to remind you of who you are. That’s why, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he told them, «Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven.» First of all, what did he do right there? He reminded you that you are a child of God and that you have a Father in heaven. You may not be able to see Him, but you have a Father, right? A significant part of our prayer life is to remind us of who we are: «Father who art in heaven.» Then he says, «Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.» What was that designed to do? That was meant to remind us that we are Kingdom citizens and that it is our job to legislate Kingdom matters on Earth, right? Then he goes on to say, «Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.» In other words, don’t forget that you need some mercy, too. Hey, don’t think you have it so together that you don’t need any mercy. And since you recognize you need some mercy, let’s go ahead and be generous with mercy to others. Are you following me? Then he says, «Keep us from evil.» You know the Lord’s Prayer. And keep us from evil, right? Don’t think there isn’t evil out there trying to get you; don’t think there aren’t temptations out there trying to trip you up. So, prayer—I’m sorry for digressing, but prayer is all about reminding you of who you are. It takes something for me to be me, and it takes something for you to be you. There are certain things you have to do consistently so that you won’t be tossed to and fro, up one day and down the next. I understand that when you’re just getting started, but there should come a point in time where you employ disciplines daily because you’re tired of being tossed to and fro. You are sick and tired of being up one day and down the next. Oh, oops! Britney Spears style, «I did it again.» We love Britney; God bless her! But you know what I’m saying. That was a great song that talked about the realities of life. «Oops! I did it again.» But we shouldn’t have that be a song every year and in every season—hello, somebody! So, we work out; I’m just making my way down the road here. But we have to be committed to certain disciplines. For me, one of the things I do every day is read a chapter from Proverbs. What I love about Proverbs is that it is rich in wisdom and covers everything in life: relationships, business, money, friendships, extending credit, and not extending credit. It is amazing how to navigate a king—oh my God, it’s so rich! It’s written by, well, there are a few authors of Proverbs, but the majority of the Proverbs are written by King Solomon. As you know, King Solomon was the wisest ever. How did he become wise? He became wise because God propositioned him one day and said, «What do you want? Ask, and I’ll give it to you.» Now, some of y’all would have been like, «You know that Powerball, Jesus? That one with two billion?» Just joking! But you know, you wouldn’t actually ask for anything frivolous; you’d be too spiritual. You would ask to be more godly, saying, «Lord, I want to be more like You.» But Solomon responded differently. When the proposition was put out there, he said, «God, give me a wise and understanding heart so that I might know how to lead this great people.» He recognized that he was about to be crowned as the king of Israel and had a responsibility to his calling and his people. He didn’t want to be a wicked king; he wanted to be a righteous king and honor God in becoming who he needed to be to fulfill his calling. God loved that answer.