Making Wise Decisions

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10, NIV).

Everyone would like to make wise decisions. I am not talking about little decisions like whether you brush you teeth first or take a shower first. I am not talking about whether you drive in the left lane or the right lane of the road. I am not talking about what shirt or dress you choose to wear in the morning. These do not have great impact on your life.

Some decisions have great impact on your life.

The job you perform has a big impact on your income and time with your friends and family.
Whether you marry or remain single is a big decision.
What education you pursue has a big impact on your future opportunities.
The friends you choose to be with and seek advice from will have a big impact on your life.

These are decisions that can take your life in many different directions. How will you make wise decisions concerning these things? While I cannot give you a direct answer to your specific decision, I know someone who can. The LORD knows you, everything about you. As the Psalmist wrote:

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. (Psalm 139:1-4, NIV)

Since our Creator is so familiar with your life, it is fitting that you should look to Him for wisdom concerning your life. That is always the first step in the process of making wise decisions.

Here is a six-step process you can use to make an important decision. These steps will get you focused on the LORD, on His will, and on His plan for your life. By following these steps, you will undoubtedly make a wise decision that honors the LORD.

1. Go to the source of true wisdom: the LORD God.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. (Proverbs 9:10-11, NIV)

It has been noted that since 1955 knowledge has doubled every five years. With the advent of computer technology and the Internet, I am sure that the growth of knowledge is increasing even faster now. Yet with all that knowledge, where can you find a wise man or woman?

We know the horrible effects of divorce on both spouses and their children. Yet men and women still get divorced.
We know that drinking beer, wine, and liquor will make one lose control through drunkenness. Yet people get drunk and abuse one another.
We know that cheating on tests at school hurts other students and leads to future employees who do not have the proper skills for the job. Yet lying and cheating are increasingly being used to complete school work.

Knowledge does not equal wisdom. For all the knowledge humanity has acquired, humanity never seems to acquire much wisdom. So where do we find wisdom? The Bible tells us that we can only find wisdom in one place: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10, NIV). The LORD is our source of wisdom.

So if you need to make a wise decision, you first need to find the source of true wisdom: the LORD Jesus Christ. And put your trust in Him.

2. Ask the LORD by faith for His wisdom.

Do you think that our Creator God has any wisdom that you can use in your own life? Well, He had the wisdom to create the entire universe (Genesis 1:1). As far as astronomers can measure today, God's universe stretches out 15 billion light years (a light year is the distance that light can travel in a one-year time period). God's wisdom is certainly big enough for anyone.

God also created all forms of life we find on planet Earth. He created the smallest insects. He created the largest animals such as whales and elephants. And He created human life in all its variety and diversity. God's wisdom is both creative and specific.

So the Bible says, "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his" (Job 12:13, NIV).

Since God possesses such marvelous wisdom, how can you and I obtain His wisdom? God's word tells us to just ask Him:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:5-8, NIV)

God's promise is that if you ask Him for wisdom, He will give it to you. That is what this verse teaches very clearly. Look carefully at this precious promise from God. Ask Him for wisdom and He will:

Give you wisdom ("it will be given to him").
Give you a generous portion of wisdom ("God, who gives generously to all and).
Give without making you feel foolish for asking ("without finding fault").

Note that this promise from God has two conditions: (1) You have to ask Him -- He is gracious in the offer but will not force His wisdom upon you. (2) You have to ask Him in faith -- believe that God is able and willing to grant you His wisdom.

In whatever situation you find yourself, God can and will grant you wisdom to make a wise decision. He has given us His word (the Holy Bible) and His promise.

3. Plan ahead (if at all possible).

Making wise decisions is enhanced by planning ahead. Consider the example from nature of the tiny ant:

Go to the ant … consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8, NIV)

During the winter, the ant will be unable to find food. The ant makes the wise decision to store up food for later. By planning ahead, the ant colony is able to survive during even the harshest winter.

Wise decisions require time to think through the situation. If you plan ahead, you avoid making quick and often wrong decisions. Quick decisions are made without all the facts. Planning ahead gives you time to consider all the facts.

Consider planning ahead for life by storing up God's word. Memorizing important verses of the Bible will give you a storehouse of truth. Then as you go through life, you have God's word to apply right away. As the Psalmist said, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11, NIV).

Planning ahead also helps you to set the right priorities in life. The Psalmist also said, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12, NIV). Rather than simply reacting to whatever happens in your life, planning ahead gives you time to set the right priorities and act on those right priorities.

You may not always have time to plan ahead. If not, do not worry. Remember God has promised to grant you wisdom. And His desire is to lead you along His path for your life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

So make wise decisions by planning ahead (if it is possible). The wise person will store up knowledge and use it to plan the right course (Proverbs 10:14).

4. Make sure your purpose is to glorify God.

As you think about the decision you need to make, consider your purpose. Why would you make a particular decision? Is it self-serving? Is it spiteful? Or is it intended to bring glory and honor to God?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:16-17, NIV)

Whatever you do, whatever you decide, be sure you do it for God. Making wise decisions depends on having this purpose in your heart: to glorify God. A wise decision will mean that you are able to thank God for the privilege of serving Him in this particular situation. The Bible makes it clear that God considers your purpose in whatever decision you make. "For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and He examines all his paths" (Proverbs 5:21, NIV).

What would be the reward for a decision you make based on greed? God examines your ways and will certainly not reward your greed.
What would be the reward for a decision you make that is based on duty but not love? God has the full view of your intentions and rewards the one who acts in love.

Nothing is hidden from our God. He knows all that you think, say, and do. So be sure your decision is made with the understanding that God knows even the intentions in your mind.

If you allow the word of God to guide your decision process, you will find that God speaks to all the issues of life. This why the Bible says to "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16, NIV). In your mind, set your decision before the light of God's word. Let the truth of God's word control your decision. In this way, even your purpose for making a particular decision will be exposed before God. Shining the light of God's word on your decision will guide your purpose toward one goal: to glorify God.

5. Seek good advice from Christian friends.

There is a saying "no man is an island." Basically, this means that no one should try to live in this world alone. We all need good friends to share in life's adventures and to point us in the right direction.

Imagine a child trying to grow up alone without the support and guidance of parents. Without being taught, the child would make many bad decisions. Without appropriate warnings, the child could be hurt or killed.

Like a child without parents, you and I often attempt to make decisions without the support and guidance of others. We want to keep things private. We want to appear that we have all the answers. But we need support and guidance from people who know about the situation we face.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22, NIV)

Making wise decisions is much easier when you find a Christian friend who can give you good advice. Look for a friend who has demonstrated God's wisdom in his or her own life. Seek out those who love the LORD Jesus, live their lives by His word, and study His word diligently. God can and will use such friends to give you good advice. Many times a difficult situation requires someone besides yourself to look at the situation objectively. Such a friend will:

Help you apply God's word to your situation.
Keep your situation confidential.
Tell you what needs to be said even at the risk of offending you.
Provide accountability for your decision.

If you get good advice from a Christian friend, use it. Do not let pride get in the way of doing what is right. If your friends are not giving you good advice, get new friends. The Bible says:

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20, NIV)

6. Consider the consequences of your decision.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13, NIV)

There is no lack of things to do in life. And there are many good things you can do. But each one of us needs to decide: "What is the best thing?" The following questions will be helpful as you think about the consequences of your decision:

Does it go against God's word? Or does it fail to do what God commands? "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD" (Prov. 21:30, NIV).
Does it build you up spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically? What about others in your life? Will it build them up as well? (Eph. 4:12)
Will it move you closer to God? "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day" (Prov. 4:18-19, NIV).
Will it trouble your family? "He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind…" (Prov. 11:29, NIV).
Can you commit this decision to the LORD? "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" (Prov. 16:3, NIV).

God wants the best for you. These questions will help you to consider whether the consequences of your decision are God's best for your life. Making a wise decision means that you will consider the consequences BEFORE you make your decision.

Conclusion

These are the six steps toward making wise decisions. Having gone through this process, you should gain confidence that you have made a wise decision. A wise decision will not only honor the LORD but it will bless you. As a result, you can walk by faith, fully convinced of God's will for your life. Then you can be like the wise person Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7:24-27:

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV)

One finds wisdom for life through hearing and obeying God's word. If you want to make wise decisions, God's wisdom is your foundation for living. Remember it is through honoring the LORD with your obedience that His wisdom becomes yours.

There is an old saying that "you never know if advice is good or bad until you take it." This is usually true. The exception is the word of God which is "perfect" (Psalm 19:7, NIV). You can be sure that God's word is good advice. Take it and start making wise decisions!