“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12-22, NASB)

Have you ever been sincerely wrong about something? I have. In my mind, I believed I was right, but later I discovered I had miscalculated and was wrong. We often think that as long as our intentions are good, everything will turn out fine. We tell ourselves that being sincere is the most important thing. However, today’s passage shows that we can be completely, wholeheartedly, and sincerely wrong, and that this can have permanent or even eternal consequences. It says,

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, and the end of joy may be grief. The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied with his. The naive believes everything, but the prudent man considers his steps. A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. The naive inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. The evil will bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. The poor is hated even by his neighbor, but those who love the rich are many. He who despises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is gracious to the poor. Will they not go astray who devise evil? But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.”

Sincerity is not a guarantee of truth. It does not change reality. For example, if your destination is a city in the north but you are driving south on a freeway, you will end up at the wrong destination, no matter how sincere you are. You can drive as safely as possible, obey the speed limit, and keep your eyes on the road, but you will still end up lost. In the same way, we can choose a path in life that looks good, feels right, and makes sense to our brains, yet still leads to disaster. It means even good-hearted people can get it wrong. Verse 12 highlights this idea clearly: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” We must have humility in our judgments, as we can be sincerely wrong. Culturally, we love the phrase “follow your heart,” but the Scriptures remind us that the human heart is easily deceived. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

This is the danger of following your heart. There are many things that “seem right” to us, don’t there? Look at some of Solomon’s descriptions of people experiencing this phenomenon: People’s laughter may make us think everything is going well, but beneath it lie “pain” and “grief.” A naïve person believes in everything, is arrogant, and is careless. A quick-tempered person acts foolishly. Further, our impressions of people based on outer appearances, our conclusions about why bad things happen, or our decisions based on limited understanding or lies others can lead us in the wrong direction. Some of the wrong ways we go have permanent consequences in this life. We might break someone’s trust, and we can never fully get it back. We might make a bad decision that ruins our health. There are earthly consequences that we cannot undo, no matter how sorry we are. Even worse, this proverb warns us about eternal consequences, as it may lead us to the “way of death.” Let today’s reading move you from self-reliance to holy surrender. Don’t just ask yourself if a path feels right or looks good on paper. Take it to the Lord first. Let His eternal Word guide your steps instead of your changing emotions, limited understanding, or the misleading messages of Hollywood and the media.

• What do you think Solomon had in mind when he said that some things “seem right” but end in “death?”
• Have you ever been “sincerely wrong” about something, and how did that experience help you improve your decision-making process?