The Lord became angry with Amaziah. He sent him a prophet who asked him, “Why do you dedicate your life to serving the gods of those people? Those gods couldn’t save their own people from you.”
2 Chronicles 25:15
Has God ever sent you a prophet, a voice of reason sent to point out the sin in your life that you have chosen to ignore? When he does it can hurt something awful, and your first response can be the common one, and that is to argue with them and to totally reject their warnings. But don’t be so quick to fight for your sinfulness. Don’t be so quick to try to prove you’re right when others say you’re wrong. Just stop and listen, thank them for their insight, and take it home with you. Then don’t let another day go by without asking God for his word on the subject.
In order to have this kind of response, you have to tear down the wall of self-protection that you have built around your life. This takes a large dose of humility, but ignoring your sinfulness was really not self-protection in the first place. The wise girl refuses to lie to herself anymore and really wants to figure out where she’s getting it wrong. Getting it wrong, after all, is a cause for concern. Do you want to live your life in ignorant bliss, or would you rather turn the lights on and see into all the dark places of your life? The best way to destroy the arguments of the enemy in your life is by turning on the light and confronting the lies you have been accepting as truth.
Ignorant bliss is really no bliss at all; it’s just a down payment on destruction. Sin’s payoff isn’t happiness; it’s death. So don’t trust your own deceitful heart anymore, but be willing to listen when others correct you. Even though it tears at your heart, listen. Even though it sounds absurd, listen. You’ll have a teachable heart, and a teachable heart is a peaceful heart.