WISDOM

Do I? Don't I?, Is this alright?, What should I do?..... Questions, Questions. we have to answer daily. Simple questions, tough ones, life changing ones. At every step we have to take decisions. That is when we realise that we need something more. God has provided for this need. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is Wisdom.

Wisdom cannot be obtained from reading books. Education can give us all kind of temporary knowledge, but real life situations and problems demand wisdom. Solomon sought only one thing from the Lord " That I may be wise" and to show how important wisdom is, he wrote Proverbs.

Solomon surrounds the word wisdom with three distinct nouns: knowledge, understanding and discretion (discernment), to show how important they were to obtain wisdom but felt that no matter how smart he might be, every man needs a solid starting point" I want to make the simple - minded wise! I want those already wise to become the wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth. The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord (Proverb 1:4-9) Solomon pointed us to a hearty, personal day-to day faith in God as the solid starting point in getting Wisdom. James's in 1:5 assures us that God actually desires to give us wisdom." 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" Solomon's own life points to the validity of this point. He counsels us from hard-learned experience when he writes "Don't ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

State your problem on a piece of paper, clearly as you can. Solomon gives us 4 progressive steps through we can obtain wisdom

1)

Trust in the Lord - The natural tendency we all have is to either leaving God out of the sequence entirely, or to place God right at the end. We wrestle with the problem and then ask God to bless our plans. Or if it is evident that we really blew our decision, we'll go running to him to bail us out.

We'd save ourselves a heap of trouble if we'd follow Solomon's advice at begin at the starting point - to trust and reverence the Lord God by giving him first place in our lives and by seeking to honor him in everything we do. If we are living for him, it follows that we go to him with our problems - first, not last (Just ask him for wisdom, James reminds us) In prayer we may sense his special guidance. In his Word we may find the answer we need, spelled out for us.

Or, God just might want us to exercise the minds he's given us. Begin by thanking God for the problem. While it may cause some pains now, God will use it to help you grow wiser, better person." In all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom 8:28) Then ask the Lord's guidance - that he would clear your mind of all misleading thoughts, tangents, or temptations to settle for less than the best.

2)

Knowledge - hen you've stated the problem as specifically as possible and sought God's will, you are ready to begin listing all the possible courses of action. This brainstorming process can be an especially meaning ful experience with a team of colleagues. At work or church, round up several like-minded men and women to help. Write down every idea, no matter how wild or impractical it may sound. Go for Quantity not Quality. When many options are listed, chances of comming upon the best one are increased.

3)

Understanding - Now's the time to be honest about every possible solution you've listed. Several can probably be Junked right away. The others, though, deserve careful evaluation in light of some serious questions:

A.

Is this option in harmony with God's Will?

B.

Is it in violation of civil law or my personal ethics?

C.

Is this choice in line with my /our personal mission and priorities?

D.

Do the pluses outweigh the minuses
(Make a list of pro's - con's for each serious option. Under pro list every advantage you can think of. Under "con" every disadvantage or risk.

E.

What will be the long-range effect of this choice
(Imagine yourself five years from now, will you be glad you made the decision)

4)

Discretion - After weighting the alternatives, and perhaps thinking, talking and praying further on them, make your decision. Choose the course of action that stands up best to your evaluation questions. Then begin putting your solutions into action. As an act of trust, thank God for his guidance and commit the situation to him. Then get on with life confident that you have made the widest choice possible.

1)	Trust in the Lord - The natural tendency we all have is to either leaving God out of the sequence entirely, or to place God right at the end. We wrestle with the problem and then ask God to bless our plans. Or if it is evident that we really blew our decision, we'll go running to him to bail us out. We'd save ourselves a heap of trouble if we'd follow Solomon's advice at begin at the starting point - to trust and reverence the Lord God by giving him first place in our lives and by seeking to honor him in everything we do. If we are living for him, it follows that we go to him with our problems - first, not last (Just ask him for wisdom, James reminds us) In prayer we may sense his special guidance. In his Word we may find the answer we need, spelled out for us. Or, God just might want us to exercise the minds he's given us. Begin by thanking God for the problem. While it may cause some pains now, God will use it to help you grow wiser, better person." In all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom 8:28) Then ask the Lord's guidance - that he would clear your mind of all misleading thoughts, tangents, or temptations to settle for less than the best.
2)	Knowledge - hen you've stated the problem as specifically as possible and sought God's will, you are ready to begin listing all the possible courses of action. This brainstorming process can be an especially meaning ful experience with a team of colleagues. At work or church, round up several like-minded men and women to help. Write down every idea, no matter how wild or impractical it may sound. Go for Quantity not Quality. When many options are listed, chances of comming upon the best one are increased.
3)	Understanding - Now's the time to be honest about every possible solution you've listed. Several can probably be Junked right away. The others, though, deserve careful evaluation in light of some serious questions:
	A.	Is this option in harmony with God's Will?
	B.	Is it in violation of civil law or my personal ethics?
	C.	Is this choice in line with my /our personal mission and priorities?
	D.	Do the pluses outweigh the minuses (Make a list of pro's - con's for each serious option. Under pro list every advantage you can think of. Under "con" every disadvantage or risk.
	E.	What will be the long-range effect of this choice (Imagine yourself five years from now, will you be glad you made the decision)
4)	Discretion - After weighting the alternatives, and perhaps thinking, talking and praying further on them, make your decision. Choose the course of action that stands up best to your evaluation questions. Then begin putting your solutions into action. As an act of trust, thank God for his guidance and commit the situation to him. Then get on with life confident that you have made the widest choice possible.