Making Wise Decisions

Often, we make bad decisions. Why?

There was a man in a town who was known as a murderer, thief, and a rebel in siding with revolutionary ideas against the government. His name was Salvation Son of the Father. He was famous and wanted by the people. This man, with such an obvious reputation, could be assumed to have also been a very good liar.

In the same town there was a man that was also called Salvation Son of the Father, known by some people as a deceiver, demon possessed, blasphemer; however, by some other people he was known as the Son of David, the Messiah, the Son of God.

Both men went to trial; yet, one was innocent while the other was guilty.

Television programs nowadays have contests where the audience gets to choose, but the choice is not always correct. It is not always the wisest decision, but it defines an internal motive that only serves a section of the population and not the whole. In this town, people had to choose between two men: one, a mare man and the other, a mare man that happened to also be God. The outside evidence is not always correct. The crowd made a wrong decision. Their wisdom escaped them. Note: Matthew 27:16 and John 18:40.

How about you?

Sometimes it is difficult to make wise choices but with the help of the Holy Spirit, the task can be easier. In the story above, society asked for a murderer instead of a Savior. We cannot allow ourselves to be led by other people when making important decisions.

We have to make all types of decisions in our lives, decisions both personal and public. Lot also had to make a decision, a decision which cost him his wife. He needed wise counsel. He needed wisdom.

What decision do you have to make in the upcoming days? Take time to think about it.

According to the scriptures, Wisdom is to fear the Lord.

Proverbs 9:10 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” NIV

The Hebrew word for wisdom is   חכם HaKam or Hakmah  חָ֭כְמָה

It means quest for wisdom, skillful.

 

 

 

What causes us to NOT make wise decisions?

 

Not knowing God: When we do not know Yeshua, we are living in sin.

1 Corinthians 15:33 states, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” AKJV

 

Not being informed: We need to get educated about the issue. Do not allow our emotions to get in the way. We must look at all of our options. Brainstorm with others.

Proverbs 19:2 says, “Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.” NASB

 

Led by others or Riots: In Yeshua’s time, the people were sucked in into a riot. They were sway by the thoughts and actions of other people ultimately making a choice that forever impacted their lives. We too, if not careful, can be carried away by the manipulation and lies of others in the areas of politics, work relations, life relations, health relations, a cause, etc. Look at the riot that occurred in Baltimore on April 27, 2015, which caused destruction and loss to many business owners and instilled fear in many people.  Why? Because of revenge and anger. This happened after Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American male who suffered a spinal cord injury in the custody of the police and died as a result. What began with a few students ended in a full-blown riot by a community.

 

Fear: We cannot live in fear of doing something or fear of not doing something.

Joshua 1:9 proclaims, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ESV

 

Believing gossip: We should be aware that we get our facts straight, discerning from hearsay.

Proverbs 16:28 “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” ESV

 

Political correctness or going along with society’s beliefs

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” NIV

 

Don’t know what to do: Seek wise counsel from close friends.

Proverbs 11:14 declares, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” NASB

 

Doing the wrong things: When we continue to do wrong things, we are more likely to make wrong decisions.

James 4:17 states, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” ESV

 

How to make wise decisions

Prayer: Philippians 4:6 commands, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” NIV

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” ESV

 

Patience: We must learn to be patience and wait for the Lord.

Psalms 27:14 proclaims, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” NIV

 

Listening: We must pay attention to the Lord. Just as if we are talking to someone, we must look at the Lord and pay attention to His word.

Luke 11:28 says, “He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’” NIV

 

Trust: We must trust in the Lord with all our hearts.

Matthew 6:27 asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” NIV

Proverbs 3:5-6 confirms, “⁵ Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths.” CJB

 

Don’t worry: Matthew 6:34 confirms, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” NIV

 

Good Godly friends and counsel:

Proverbs 12:26 states, “The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.” NASB

 

How to behave in such situation

Seek God: When we do not know what to do, we become like a widow who loses her husband and does not know what to do. The same is with us when we do not know what to do and we become a widow of wisdom and knowledge. We have to seek God.

1 Timothy 5:5 teaches, “The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.” NIV

 

Press On: Even when we do not know what to do when making a decision, we must continue to seek an answer. The Lord is faithful to answer.

Hosea 6:3 proclaims, “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” NIV

 

Be Bold: There was a certain young man whose life was threaten by a certain law which said that he could not bow down and pray to God but only pray and worship the President of that land. Disobedience to this law meant death so the young man was perplexed. He had to make a decision and after contemplating his thoughts and seeking praying, he concluded that the wise thing to do was to follow God and pray anyway no matter the consequences.

Daniel 6:10 tells, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” NIV

 

Wait: It is very difficult to wait on the Lord in difficult moments when we do not know what else to do.

Psalms 37:7 confirms to “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.” NASB

 

What is the worst decision that you can ever make?

Not knowing Yeshua as your Savior.

 

Things we should know about wisdom

James 1:5-8 states, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;” ESV

Ephesians 5:15-17 says to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” ESV

Proverbs 12:15 tells us “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” ESV

We should trust in the Lord and believe that He has a plan for our lives. If we include Him in our decision making, we will not fail.