Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Choosing Wisdom


 
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)

I have been thinking a lot lately about how we get to choose the lives we want to live (maybe not what actually happens!), and that we have choices on how we react and choose our responses.  How do you react when trouble comes or when good times come? Do you act in wisdom or foolishness, emotion or anger? Every moment of every day, you are making choices that either support your well-being or negate it. God gave us wisdom to experience life and the everyday “stuff” that we have to react to. When we see others around us losing their cool, we can choose to react differently because foolishness leads to disorder and chaos, but making wise choices leads to joyous and satisfying outcomes. Wisdom lives inside how we choose, and there is no getting away from the fact that we will have to deal with something as long as we are alive on this earth and in this world.

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ...” (Proverbs 3:13-18)

We can turn to God’s Word for help with every challenge, healing for every hurt, and comfort for every burden. When we consider God’s goodness, wisdom, and knowledge—we find great comfort and encouragement! God’s wisdom as Creator is designed into all things, skillfully visible so that we have the joyful privilege of discovering it. If we have the wisdom from above (God's wisdom), things usually turn out much more smoothly. To have wisdom that comes from God we must ask it from God, and when we ask, we must ask faithfully and without any doubt.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Proverbs 3:5-6 was one of my first memorization verses, but it wasn’t until later in life that I realized trusting God, when our path in life grows muddy, is not an easy task! Weariness, busyness and hurt can cause us to trip and even fall, and we wonder how we will ever get up again. However, I also (even later) learned that when we trust God with our lives even when at times it makes no sense, we receive wisdom and the ability to know the difference, the ability to discern right from wrong, good from bad, sound judgment, etc. The wisdom of depending on God will bring results in our lives that can surprise us! And then when it comes to all the stuff in life, we'll be ready when the really big decisions come that often define the course of our lives.

23 comments:

  1. I pray often for true wisdom. Precisely for the things of everyday life: conversations with adult daughter, dividing my attention between more than one child. Especially in difficult times, the Word of God show me the way how I can walk in wisdom. I love this post Denise. Thank you.

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    1. Thanks Jedidja...oh yes; lots of wisdom needed to guide and direct our children! :)
      Blessings!

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  2. Very wise words spoken Denise.

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    1. Ha! Love the play on words Wanda... :)
      Blessings friend!

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  3. Awesome post Denise. You are right, we have choices to make all the time. I too have been thinking lately about choices. In my case, it is my choices in how I spend my time. Proverbs 3:5-6 is something we should remind ourselves of quite ofter.

    I have been away from blogging for a few months, but getting back into it. It sure is nice to stop by your site and read what you have written.

    God bless,
    Ken

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    1. Hi Ken! It is so good to hear from you; I will be popping over soon! God bless you

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  4. Hey Denise! I just started reading Proverbs chapter 3! God spoke to me that I should seek wisdom like a precious jewel, as though it is really hard to find. In all, the foundation of seeking wisdom should be the fear of the Lord. God asked me if I'm seeking wisdom just because I want people to think that I'm very wise, or do I seek that because I want to edify the body of Christ.

    It's so true that sometimes when the going is tough and trials are facing us, it's hard for us to trust in God. But these hard times shouldn't serve as a wall blocking our dependency on Christ, but it should make us more transparent and real to God, trusting in Him and depending on Him.

    Thank God and thanks for the post! God bless! :D

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    1. Absolutely; it's all about trust! :) I have been reading Proverbs too Joy; it provides so many words for wisdom and guidance, as well as just daily instructions for learning! Blessings Joy!

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  5. Hi Denise - I love reading the book of Proverbs. It is such a practical book. I think with the 1st of September coming up I will read one chapter of Proverbs a day as daily wisdom input.
    God bless
    Tracy

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    1. I love the book of Proverbs too Tracy; just started reading it again myself! :) God bless friend!

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  6. beautiful post. we preach to our kids that our life is a choice...and we always have the choice of how we react, but the results are always up to God.

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    1. Yes; we do have choices, and it's so important to instill that in the hearts and minds of ours children! :)
      Blessings Annmarie!

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  7. Hi Denise,
    Well, I just came from Bible study..and of course, that scripture from Proverbs 3 was part of our study! I don't always choose wisdom right away, sometimes I react out of emotion at first, then it occurs to me, that I need to do some damage control...then I ask for wisdom. I know it would be so much easier if I made better choices all the time!
    ~Love & hugs~ God Bless~ Lisa

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    1. Hi Lisa! I know what you mean; if only we turned to God for wisdom sooner we would find the answers and right responses that would make the outcome much better!

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  8. I could use some of God's wisdom right now. I love the new look of your blog. Where do you get the graphics like the heart pictures you have on the side? Do you do those?

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    1. Thanks Debbie; I will send you an email to explain. Blessings friend!

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  9. Denise, I love this quote. "We can turn to God’s Word for help with every challenge, healing for every hurt, and comfort for every burden." I'm all about healing.

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  10. Check my blog for my new book cover reveal.

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    1. I will get over to your blog right now Peaches! :)

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  11. Denise, choices are one of my favorite topics. Heart choices, after all ...

    First of all, I'm so glad God chose me as one of His own. How do I respond? I wish I could say I make the right choices all the time but that's not true. But the more I stay in His Word and I pray for His wisdom, the more likely I am to choose His way.

    Wonderful thoughts on this Denise.

    September is just around the corner. :)

    Blessings and love,
    Debbie

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  12. Yes it is, and I am looking forward to seeing you again Debbie! Aw, so true...I think I will always keep growing and learning to make right choices. Just have to make sure and keep God in the loop. :)

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  13. This is a great post - wisdom is something I thought I had when I was younger, and the older I get the more I am learning that wisdom is truly learned, then applied, then learned some more. I love the new look of your site!

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    1. Thanks Brenda! :)
      Oh so true; we never outgrow wisdom! I think as we grow older we listen and yearn for more and more of it.....

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