If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely and without reproach, and it will be given to them. James 1:5
This verse has always fascinated me, since the moment I first read it. What a blessing that if we ever feel like we need wisdom for anything we might be going through, it's just a prayer away.
Making difficult decisions is probably one of the hardest things to do. We may feel torn between what our minds want and what our hearts need...What our peers foolishly suggest and what our elders wisely recommend. As I've pondered on what to do when the dilemmas arise, I've found that there are some crucial steps to follow to help us make the best decision.
Step 1: Search the Scriptures
The Bible is the best place to start. Remember, chances are, we're not going to find a verse that will bluntly tell us the answer or solution to our problems. We're looking for principles; verses that will build us up and guide us as to how to act when we face our trials.
Step 2: Get Wise Counsel
By "wise counsel" I mean the pastors or leaders of your church. Talk to people you know well (ideally, not people close to your age). The elders of the church have lived the Christian life much longer than we have. They can give advice and guide us based on their own life experiences. Ask them questions: "What skills or abilities do you seen in me?" or "Could you see me doing this?" or even better "What do you see in me that I need to change?" It takes a certain level of maturity and humility to ask these questions, but by doing so we will reap the benefits.
Step 3: Pray, Pray, Pray!
It's important that we pray, specifically, for what we want. But, we cannot continue to pray just for the things we want. God knows the desires of our hearts but He also knows what's best for us, and it's not always what we were hoping for. The reason that this step is not first or second (although you should be praying right from the beginning) is that we can pray for specifics according to what we found in the Bible and what we learned from elderly advice. We must pray according to our faith and things we have learned, spiritually. Pray for His will to be done in your life.
Step 4: Make a Decision
This may seem fairly obvious but it's really the tricky part. A couple of things can happen during this step:
1. We may find ourselves rushing through the other steps because we want to see changes happen. Remember, depending on what your situation is, this process could take weeks, months, and even years, in some cases. It's important not to hurry yourself or God. Just be patient. You may need to go through these steps again.
2. Although its important to take our time, we can also find ourselves waiting forever, going through the first three steps over and over and over again, without getting anything done, just because we're worried that we will make the wrong decision.
God will eventually show you His will through one of the first three steps. Keep your heart open and you will hear His voice.
Remember not to hurry yourself through any one of these steps....I can't emphasize that enough. One verse, one advice, and one prayer are not going to do it. Keep repeating the previous steps while moving forward. I hope this helps you in whatever you're going through :)
Until next time,
Adriana
