The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.

Proverbs 16:17 ESV

The path of the upright veers to avoid evil. Indeed, it is the avoidance of evil that makes one upright at all.

How do we do this?

By guarding our ways.

By being vigilantly attendant to where our feet fall.

Each day, each hour, we place ourselves in contexts that either guard us against evil or tempt us toward evil. Occasionally, we cannot control the context, but most often we certainly can.

Of course, life has many natural rhythms and grooves in it, so how might we guard our path throughout our ordinary, daily routine?

One answer, I believe, is to redeem our habits. Use our well-worn paths of life to follow down the highway of the upright, to fortify our hearts against evil.

This may be praying and singing hymns in the shower or the car instead of listening to podcasts or music.

Or it may be using the act of pouring coffee as a trigger for remembering and meditating on a verse of Scripture.

A life of evil causes us to blow like chaff in the wind, but the one who is blessed of God is rooted like a tree. He will guard his steps by meditating upon God’s law day and night. He will diligently seek after God. He longs to know the ways of the LORD, to know Him who is eternal life.

And God will be found by him.

How then are you guarding your way?