Proverbs 6

 This chapter gives us great wisdom for life. How can we apply?

• First, be wise with finances. Don't put yourself in situations that could ruin your financial stability and/or relationships.
• Second, stay diligent. Even when no one's watching. Especially when no one's watching.
  The ants gather food, provide for themselves, and no one watches them, no one overseers or rules them. What a great example for our lives. We need to build consistent, good habits. Diligence is when one puts careful and persistent effort towards a goal. It focuses on the quality and intensity of the effort.
  
  "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." ~ Robert Collier
  
  You want to have success in your Christian life? Then start with forming habits that will help with growth and maturity and practice them every day. As an adult, no one can make you go to church. No one can make you read the Bible or make you have a personal walk with God. This takes DISCIPLINE and diligence every day. Be diligent to wake up and talk to God. Diligent to read the Bible. Diligent to apply. 
  You want financial success? Then start with little steps. Health success? Start with taking little steps. Successful relationships? Start taking steps. All of these areas require an open mind to begin with. Laziness will start creeping in little by little if we don't guard against it. It's very easy to skip one day of Bible reading, skip a day of passing out tracts/witnessing/talking to people about the Lord - but one day turns into two, then into three, then into a week, then into a month. Be diligent. 
• Third, avoid division and those who cause it. Don't gossip, lie, or manipulate - all these bring division. Build peace. 
• Fourth, watch out for the wicked man, the naughty person. He winks with the eye. Not a friendly wink, but a subtle, non-verbal cue that signals something dishonest or malicious. He speaks with his feet, meaning he knows how to use body language to direct or hint at things. He teaches with his fingers, meaning he knows how to influence in shady, subtle ways. Watch out for this person. He's sly, crafty, and scheming. 
• Fifth, guard your heart. It gives a list of seven things the Lord hates. Be aware when they try to pop up in life. Seek God continually and apply wisdom to avoid these. 
• Sixth, guard against adultery and temptation. Mistakes in this area will bring a blot and dishonor to a person's name and ruin reputations. We can save ourselves and others a lot of heartache if we deal with others always in honor and purity, not only physically but also emotionally. Be extra careful about what you watch and what you let your children watch. From working with broken families and seeing the horrible things kids are exposed to nowadays with no adult supervision, I understand why fornication and adultery is so common. It's becoming (or maybe already is) a learned, acceptable behavior from a young age. Watch out. The devil is on a hunt to find who he can devour.