So what practical help is available for making better decisions? Consider this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7
Jesus provided three clear steps we can follow that open up God’s wisdom for us.
ASK. A believer with an active prayer discipline naturally makes better decisions because he is vitally connected to the only true source of wisdom.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God,
who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5
We cannot overestimate the value of an ongoing daily time of prayer and connection with God.
SEEK.
We have a reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative source to lead us in our decision making quest: God’s Word. The Bible has every principle we need to form our thinking, attitudes, and perspectives.
All Scripture is breathed out by God
and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Regularly read, study, and memorize God’s Word and you will be “complete and equipped for every good work.”
KNOCK.
God does not write instructions on paper and mail them to us, nor does He text us or email us with specific directions. Once we have prayed and sought God’s direction in His Word, we eventually have to step out in faith to realize the benefit of His wisdom.
When Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land, the water did not part until AFTER they stepped into the water.
Wisdom has no shortcuts. Pray, saturate your life in God’s Word, and move in faith. You will look back at a track record of much wiser decisions.