Sixth Sense

My father would often say to me, “Son, don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see!”

He was using hyperbole of course, but his southern wit carried a great deal of real world wisdom.  I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, but what he was trying to teach me was that life would go a lot better if I operated with more than just my five senses. In particular, he was suggesting that making my decisions, big and small, immediate and long term, using only my senses of sound and sight would be way too inadequate for a successful and satisfying life.

Really, what he was telling me was that I would need to develop a sixth sense to operate well in life.  That sixth sense would not replace the other five, but would be enhanced by them—and vice versa.  So what was this sixth sense?  Not intuition, nor intelligence and not even charisma and charm—although there is certainly nothing wrong with any of those.  He was talking about my core values—unchanging standards that were to guide my life in decisions big and small; standards, guidelines and principles that came from the Indisputable Source of all truth and wisdom, God himself.

In Proverbs 7, Solomon describes the person who chooses to live by his five senses only, especially the senses of sound and sight.  In this case, a hapless young man is being led astray by a seductive woman, “With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.” (Proverbs 7:21) But substitute just about anything else for the “wayward woman” Solomon mentions here, since just about any other influence in life minus our core values will inflict the same kind of damage he describes at the end of this chapter. As Solomon says in verse 23, following after what sounds good and grasping for what looks good may very well cost you your life, if not physically, then relationally, financially and spiritually.

“He was like a bird flying into a snare,
little knowing it would cost him his life.”

Let me ask you a very important question: What is your filter for life? Is it your core values? Are you a five senses sort of person, or are you learning to run everything that comes your way, decisions big and small, opening doors today and opportunities tomorrow, through the sixth sense sieve of Indisputable Truth?

Think about that…and remember, don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see!

Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It:

What decisions and opportunities are before you today?  Don’t forget to align them with your core values and measure them against your mission in life. Make sure to pray about them, check them against the wisdom of God’s Word, and run them by a discerning Christian friend.