Daily Strength - When Making Decisions

 ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1 vs 5-8 NIV)

Wisdom is knowing the right and best thing to do when we have choices to make. Real life is complicated and real life throws situations our way, big and small, where it is genuinely difficult to know what road to take. In his short letter towards the end of the New Testament James anticipates that followers of the Lord Jesus will find themselves in everyday situations where they feel stuck, frozen, unsure, not knowing what to do. 

When we feel like this James alerts us to the fact that God wants to give us the wisdom we need. God is pictured as a generous giver of wisdom, rather than a harsh master standing back and waiting for us to make bad choices.

But here’s the thing. James tells us that seeking God’s guidance only works if deep in our heart we are willing to keep to the boundaries He sets (in His written word) and within those boundaries to seek daily wisdom (from His Spirit) as we step into each new day and each new situation. 

Christians don’t look for God’s wisdom and then weigh that up against other options. That kind of person is like a boat lost at sea. It’s not a good picture.   

Prayer: Lord sometimes I feel like a boat blown about all over the place. Help me to be wise in the big and small things of life. Keep me right and keep me moving forward. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.