If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. - James 1:5-6
We all desire wisdom, whether we put that desire into words and know that it’s what we want or not. We want to know how best to raise our children, what career path to pursue, what is a sound financial decision on a certain matter. We have a tendency to look for these things in the wrong places first, then to God last…if we remember to look to Him at all for our answers.
When we’re faced with a decision, most of us tend to turn to our friends or to “the experts” (whoever they are) about the situation we are faced with. What we forget is that God is our closest friend, He is our ever-present help. And he is the most qualified expert, whether we’re seeking answers about relationships, money, our health, or any other situation. He designed it all, so that makes Him the ultimate expert.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:17
When we’re tempted to look these other places, we should first go to God’s word. There’s nothing inherently wrong with looking for advice. In fact, the Bible says “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22). But we need to make sure we seek God’s will first, ask Him to provide us with wisdom. Seek His word for the applicable truths that will help us in the situation. And know His word thoroughly, so we can weigh any advice that friends or experts may give based on a scale of truth. If it matches up with what God’s word says…it is true and the advice should be listened to. If the advice is to do something outside of what God’s word says is right, then we should find another advisor who will not steer us false.
We need to know God’s word. Will it have the specific answers to every question we face? No. If you’re looking in the Bible to figure out who to marry, it’s not going to give you a name. But it will tell you to not marry someone who doesn’t share your faith.
If you’re looking for advice on whether to buy a new car, you won’t find instructions on which one…or even whether to buy at all. But you will find admonition against going into debt to do so.
Virtually every decision we make has applicable wisdom in the Bible. We generally turn to God for the big decisions, the life-changing alterations we see come along. But many people look at everyday decisions as just little things, a decision made in passing that isn’t really a big deal. But…many little things add up to a big thing eventually. In this case, many small decisions add up to how you choose to live your life on a daily basis. Whether you’re making a little decision or a big decision, how you treat that decision in relation to God’s word makes it inherently a spiritual decision. And our life and whether we live our life in the way God wants us to live it is the sum total of all those decisions.
ACTIONS:
Consider your decisions today, and make each one after evaluating it through a filter of God’s word. Especially if you don’t have anything that you think is life-changing on your plate, trust God with the small decisions thoughtfully, as spiritual decisions, today.
Memorize a verse applicable to a decision you are making today.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION:
Where do you turn most often for wisdom when making a decision?
Share what verse (and, if you’re comfortable with, it what decision it is applicable to) you decided to memorize for today.
No comments:
Post a Comment