Making Wise Decisions — Morning Devotions

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Transcript

People who make a living by researching topics, I think are very clever people. I’m not very good at that. I tend to think of issues being in boxes with sides so I can easily understand, otherwise I get confused. And so when I read that a researcher had determined that the average adult makes 30,000 decisions each day, I had to think about it.

What time will I get up? What type of cereal will I have for breakfast? What am I going to wear? Will I be cold or hot? I guess over time they’re only minor decisions, not terribly important. And then there are other more serious types of decisions.

Is this the girl, the partner that I’m to live with for the rest of my life, to be married to her, or should I quit this awful job and find another better paying job? Should we relocate to a nicer suburb with a better view?

I guess a lot of this comes down to our level of self-awareness. Am I qualified, for example, to change that leaking tap in the bathroom, or do I call in a plumber? Do I buy a new car because I need to, or is it to impress people around me? Sometimes we avoid thinking along those lines because we feel uncomfortable or guilty. It reminds me of what David Foster Wallace once said.

You’ll stop worrying what others think about you when you realise how seldom they do.

Others are busily trying to sort out their own lives, to worry too much about yours. I would be surprised if you said no to my question – Do you want to make wise decisions? Some people seem to be wise even at a young age. Kelly, for example, she was 10. She learned the best lesson at the family dinner table. Don’t ever be too full for dessert. And Heather, a wise teenager, said when your dad is mad and asks you, do I look stupid, don’t answer him.

I’m sure most of us want to be discerning people, those who make sensible, worthwhile decisions. No one’s perfect, and there’s no such thing as a totally good decision. It’s about this word discernment, and if you’re waiting to make a perfect decision, you’ll be waiting a long time.

If you are a discerning person, hopefully you can judge between what is right and wrong, the difference between truth and untruth, and that’s not easy in our social media world. The Latin meaning from the word discernment means to separate, and that’s a helpful meaning. I need to separate some issues to find what I’m looking for. The more information I can get on a topic, the better. So the more clearly I see the alternatives I have, my job is made easier in making an informed decision.

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I know it’s often easier said than done, but we can only try. One of the remarkable traits of Christianity is that God can help us to make wise decisions. James 1:5 says, If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.

We serve a loving God who is all knowing. He’s all wise and wants to help us to be wise as we travel through life. Many decisions require us to wait even when we don’t want to. But if we feel uneasy about it and we don’t have a clear direction, we can wait to decide. It might be the best way to trust God.

That’s why Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 and 6 in the Old Testament and the Message version says, Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do. Everywhere you go. He’s the one who’ll keep you on track. Don’t assume you know it all. Run to God.

I suggest we become serious about praying to God each day and often throughout the day, speaking to the eternal God as our friend, and He will answer you.

It doesn’t mean making perfect decisions or not making mistakes. You will do that. One of the most beautiful things about wisdom is that it’s meant to be shared.

Just as King Solomon gathered and imparted wisdom to those around him, we too can pass on our wisdom to others, whether it’s sharing our experiences, life lessons, or knowledge gained from studying the Bible. There is great joy in being able to interact with others and help them where we can, not in a spirit of arrogance and superiority, but from an attitude of humility.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, today I ask for your wisdom in making decisions. Some are big, some are small, some matter, and some don’t. But Lord, in all these things I look to you for your answers, for your gentle voice and the wisdom that comes from above. May it be that I be a person of discernment. Amen.

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