Making wise decisions is very important, especially during times of stress. I have been studying what the Bibles describes as “wisdom” and how to apply it to my daily life. The term “wisdom” is mentioned more than 200 times in the Bible. It is interesting to note that when young Solomon when he became King after his father David, was overwhelmed by the assignment. The one thing that he prayed as asked God for was …”wisdom.” Wisdom can be defined as having knowledge and the ability to make good use of it. As I studied about Solomon and other examples, I discovered several reoccuring characteristics. Although Solomon was considered the wisest person in the world at that time, he realized that he did not know everything. He was smart to seek out skilled artisans with expertise when constructing the city in his country. We also would be wise to seek and find good help and advice.

Even though I sometimes struggle making good decisions like everybody else, here are some specific things that I am learning about wisdom that can be helpful as we have to keep navigating through life in the days ahead…

ASK. First of all, pray and ask God for wisdom. James 1:5 states “If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and want correct you for asking.” Prayer is not just the first step, it is to be interwoven throughout the whole process of asking, seeking and finding solutions. Ask your friends and people you trust about referrals for people with expertise and knowledge in the issues you are dealing with, this helps in clearing up fears and misconceptions you may have and will give you some clarity.

SEEK. Pray and ask for God’s guidance and specific direction into who you should seek out for advice and the information you need. Take some time to think through the options you have, and don’t be afraid to follow up with more questions to get further clarification. If you are not on a short timetable, take a day or two to give careful thought about what to do next. Jesus encouraged us to “seek, aim at, strive after God’s Kingdom and His way of doing things and being right and all things will be given to you also.”- Matthew 6:33 (Amplified Bible)

FIND. Maybe make a list pros and cons for each choice. Pray as you work through the details and toward a resolution. Do not forget to take time to thank the God for being with you through all of this process. Proceed with the best option. If that does not work out, be open to realize that God is going to answer your prayer in a different way than you expected. Stop and hit the reset button in your thinking and begin the process again of ASK>SEEK>FIND. It is not unusual in our complex world to have some delays, detours and closed doors, but God is faithful and He can help us get to where we need to be as we trust and follow Him. I can identify with this quote by Dr. A.W. Tozer…”I rarely know where I am going in my life’s journey, but I look back and see that God has been leading my every step and I did not even know it.” Do not give into discouragement. Instead, continue to seek the Lord in all that you do and letting Him guide you.