AL's Voice: Continue, or Careless?

Proverbs 19:16 (NKJV)He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,But he who is careless of his ways will die.

Do I keep the commandment, or am I reckless? Do I concern myself with the Word of God and secure my eternal life, or am I inconsiderate of my end, living in misery, despairing and in danger of perishing eternally?
Matthew Henry writes that if we keep God's word, God's word will keep us from everything really hurtful. We secure our present peace and eternal bliss by keeping God's commandment. On the contrary, those who live randomly, giving little care to obedience, must die. They are on the road to ruin, destined to perish eternally.

So, do I keep the commandment, or do I live carelessly?

This was a real-life, in-my-face kind of lesson this week. I know what I ought to do, but actually doing it is a whole different thing. I have looked into the Word, but walked away from it blinded to the type of woman I am. I found it so easy to look at someone else and think to myself, "Why is she acting like that?"; it was much harder to acknowledge that she was probably, simply put, following my example. Ouch! My way had indeed been careless in that incident, and many others. I want to be constant and keep the commandment, but it's so easy to be careless.

I could choose to continue in my life of careless ease, deceiving myself. Or I can run back to the Word, not only reading what it says but continuing to do what it says. Note:

James 1:22-25 (NKJV)22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Am I careless, like the woman who observes her natural face in the mirror, goes away, an immediately forgets what kind of woman I was? OR, do I keep my soul by keeping the commandments? Do I look into the perfect law of liberty and continue in it? Am I a forgetful hearer, or a faithful doer?

I'm not talking about works for the sake of busyness or to earn my salvation, but works born out of a grateful heart...a heart that looks into the law, sees exactly what kind of sinful woman she is, and then sees God's grace poured over her freely - washing away that sin and creating her anew. What kind of love is this, that while I was yet a sinner, God anointed Jesus, sent him to earth to die for my sin, raised him again the 3rd day, revealed him to hand-picked witnesses, appointed him judge of the living and the dead, and then seated him at the right hand of God? As His love is shed abroad in my heart and I am quickened to belief in his name <the Lord saves>, so I am commissioned to share that same love with my neighbors so that they too may share in the free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ.

As my daughters, my students, my co-workers, my family, my friends, my neighbors, my enemies watch me and follow my example, are they on the high road to ruin or the narrow way of Christ?

Lord, guide my steps! Help me to put aside carelessness and continue in keeping the command, keeping my soul.

Matthew, Henry. "Proverbs 19:16." Matthew Henr'ys Commentary on the Whole Bible. <http://mhcw.biblecommenter.com/proverbs/19.htm>.