Today we’re going to talk about being “street-wise”. If you live in the city, you know what that means. To be street-wise means to know how to handle yourself in a rough neighborhood or situation.
Being street-wise, however, has a special connotation for the follower of Jesus Christ. To be street-wise in a spiritual sense is to know how to handle yourself when the devil attacks you.
The Bible says this in I Peter 5:8: "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
The first thing we have to realize in being spiritually street-wise is that Satan is always looking for ways to attack us. He hates us because we love Jesus. He “prowls around like a roaring lion” looking for someone who will fall into his trap so he can destroy that person.
For this reason, we have to continually be on the alert. We can never let our spiritual guard down because the moment we do, the devil will attack.
So, how do we stay alert? Here are a few powerful ways:
1) Read your Bible every day. Study it. Think about what you read. Apply it to your life.
2) Talk to Jesus all day long. Keep a running conversation going with Him. This is called “practicing the presence of God.” Tell Jesus everything--your fears, your failures, your hurts, your concerns, your joys, your successes. Everything! He loves to talk with you. Ask Him for wisdom in dealing with every situation. He loves to give you advice.
3) Stay away from people and places that will draw you away from Jesus. The friends you choose to hang out with will either draw you closer to Jesus or away from Him. The Bible says this about friends: "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character”' (I Corinthians 15:33). So choose your friends wisely.
If you follow these three tips, you will be spiritually street-wise.
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus says this: "Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” Most Christ-Followers focus on the second part of this verse. But the first part--“Be as shrewd as snakes”--is equally important, if not more so, because Holy Spirit states it first. To be as shrewd as a snake means to be spiritually street-wise.
Finally, remember that our Lord is always with you to help you in every situation. When you don’t know what to do, ask Him. He will gladly show you the way. After all, He is the Good Shepherd.
NOTE: I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment in the box below. Thanks! :)
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Copyright 2015 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.
To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
- You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
- You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
- You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
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