Proverbs 14:1

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. (NIV)

The wise woman builds her house [on a foundation of godly precepts, and her household thrives],
But the foolish one [who lacks spiritual insight] tears it down with her own hands [by ignoring godly principles]. (AMP)

Back in the day, when I was young 🙂, there was a popular comic strip character named Pogo created by Walt Kelly. He created a poster for Earth Day and coined a phrase that has lasted through the years: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” This 50 year old phrase is in line with the 3000 year old proverb of Solomon.

Sometimes chaos comes into our lives due to the actions of other people, e.g., unruly children, an overly demanding boss, deceitful people, a selfish spouse. But there are times when we “trash out” our own lives by the decisions we make.

The Amplified Bible really spells out this application. How we conduct our lives, the principles by which we live, make a huge difference in the messiness/drama/chaos in our lives. The guiding principles determine our mindset, which in turn determine our lifestyle, which in turn determines the decisions we make on a daily basis.

What are the guiding principles of your life? Are you “trashing out” your own life?