Guard What Is Important

(Pro 5:2 KJV) That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

“Regard" (observe NASB) (8104) at first seemed to mean to watch but as I read it over I begin to think its meaning is more akin to observing a holiday. It is often translated guard. It has the idea of watching to protect or correct. Why do we observe holidays? Think about the 4th of July. The focus today has become a day off work but the original reason we were to observe it was to remind us of what it stood for. It was to get us to pause and remember the cause of freedom. We must make choices and set priorities. We must be alert when we do this. It is so easy to take canned decisions made by others and not do any thinking ourselves. We must engage our minds and spirits. One of the reasons that people are not open to real holiness and drift into legalism is that true holiness means that we are listening to the Holy Spirit and making intelligent, informed decisions, not just following in lock step. It is hard to stay mentally active and alert. We are called on to pause and reflect.