Needing God's wisdom

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. Matthew 7: 24

I was struck today by the thought that without God it is so hard to make good life decisions. When we do not ask for the wisdom of God to guide us, it is so easy to make really poor choices. So often you hear of people who for apparently very good reasons moved house, country, job and then they are miserably unhappy and wish they had never moved.

Someone we know whose eye sight is failing decided recently to move into a home for partially sighted people. Their decision was made in consultation with both his wife who has moved with him and their son. For excellent reasons they decided to go but they are already deeply regretting the move and want to go back to where they were.

With God’s help we can make what Steve Backlund calls rock (not sand) decisions by which he means we make choices that will enable our lives to be built upon Christ our rock and not the sinking sands of our own ideas and plans.

Making good choices for the big decisions of life comes from two ways. Firstly we need to do things God’s way concerning the key areas of life. We will build on the rock when we purpose to live in honesty, maintain sexual purity, walk in generosity, serve others and put God first in our lives. This “rock living” will protect us from much heartache and will leave an inheritance of blessing for our descendants.

Secondly we need to learn to hear the voice of God for our day to day living. God wants to train us to do his will in the small decisions of life, being kind to those we meet, showing generosity, having time for people. As we learn to hear and respond to his voice in the smaller things of life, it is so much easier to hear him for the bigger decisions.

I am so thankful to have God to help my family and I make good decisions but the best news though is that even when we make ‘sand’ decisions which we may deeply regret, God can redeem and turn around even the most hopeless of circumstances.

A few years ago, another friend of ours moved house and job away from family and friends believing it was God’s will for their lives. It was not a good move and the expected promotion never materialised. The man’s wife was unhappy away from the family and the area they used to live. Some years later, the wife rather sadly said to me that they could never go back to which I replied, ‘Why not?’

That little conversation triggered a chain of events which led to them returning to the former area and their family. When we saw them last they were so much happier and as Addison Bevere says, ‘God is an expert at redeeming time. He can take years of waste and turn them into a springboard for purpose and promise.’

Godly choices

Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.  Romans 14: 13

One of the highest callings we each have is to be spiritual parents. For some this will be to our natural children but everyone has this call. Others no matter how old or young we are, whether we like it or not, will look up to us and be encouraged by our choices.

We know as parents that life style is the greatest teacher for our children. They will much more readily do what we do than do what we say especially if our words are not backed up by actions. As an example, parents who swear or drink excessively will often have children who do the same even if they tell them not to. We limit our choices for the sake of our children.

In the same way in the Kingdom we limit our choices for the sake of others. We do not exercise our freedom if it will cause others to stumble. Paul talks of this in Romans 14 where he was addressing the matter of sacred days and what people ate and drank. Today we could extend this to do with our vocabulary, modesty in dress, alcohol, the kinds of food we eat, our attitudes, the types of places we go to, how we conduct ourselves with the opposite sex, the types of jokes we tell, media choices, how we deal with conflict, and how we spend our money.  There are quite a few pastors who do not drink so they will not be a stumbling block to others who may be weaker.

 
Paul encourages us not to judge others’ choices but also not to be a stumbling block to others by our choices. ‘Don’t look at me while I sin,’ is not an option!  Whether we like it or not, people will look at our lives and use them either as a Godly example or as an opportunity to do things that are perhaps not wise.

Let’s encourage one another to good choices and let us strengthen those weaker or new in the faith by our good choices; not by a holier than though attitude, but by the helping hand on our journey which we all need.