Christians: Get Facts To Avoid Foolish Decisions

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God expects Christians do use wisdom and discernment in physical decision making. Spiritually, when we sin, we don’t get do-overs, only repentance. So in both cases, the basic message is, “Look before you leap.”

Not all Christians have inherent wisdom, and God says if we lack it, we are to ask for it:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (Jam. 1:5).

Solomon was considered one of the most wise men that ever walked the face of the earth, yet he also was given his wisdom by God. Christians have to allow the living Christ, Head of the Church, to guide them. But even so, if our wisdom (aided by God) needs more input (Prov. 11:14) – seek qualified, wise counsel. Christians  go to God’s  ministry, the helpers of their joy, calling for counsel, advice and all the facts.

Some though do the opposite and go against wise advice, which is foolish indeed. Rehoboam found this out the hard way in I Kings 12.  He did not take the counsel of the elders, but instead listened to the young counselors. The result was that ten tribes of Israel revolted, making  Jeroboam king. This left Rehoboam as king only over the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin.

Rehoboam’s friends were not tapped into the source (God) and Rehoboam was left with the advice of those who told him only what he wanted to hear. This coloured the truth to Rehoboam’s desires (Prov. 18:17), rather than giving all the facts. Had he made a list of pros and cons, instead of having a conclusion already in mind, he would have looked more objectively at the possible outcome.

So in conclusion practice making wise decision all the time, by plugging into the Holy Spirit:

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (Jam. 3:17)

The wisdom from above helps us to avoid getting caught in disastrous consequences which should easily be avoided.

Population Explosion, Command To Multiply: Are They Irreconcilable?

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God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:28). However, that command in no way obviated the need for intelligent planning and birth control. The Bible does not condemn family planning.

By focusing attention on the population explosion, there is a need to get across the seriousness of the overpopulation dilemma — and resulting famine — facing mankind. However, I am not necessarily espousing human solutions that others may advance. Rather, I mean to show that man cannot effectively solve the problem as long as he is largely motivated by selfishness, greed and vanity.

Children are a heritage of God (Ps. 127:3). All married couples should intelligently plan — unless there are extenuating circumstances — to have children. However, it is also plain that God never intended man to procreate like a mindless animal.

Man’s mind is patterned after the mind of God Himself — in whose physical and mental image man was created. Man’s mind should be exercised toward the intelligent direction in every facet of life.

The cost of caring for children also enters the picture. Paul told Timothy: “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (I Tim. 5:8). And, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children [grandchildren] …” (Prov. 13:22).

If a married couple has more children than the family head can comfortably support, the children may never reach their full potential in later life.

Cosmic Wisdom: The Mind Of God In Action!

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There are many people considered wise among men – with academics and chairs of philosophy, a type of sign-board hung out to show the apparent abode of wisdom. That is what impresses other people, but not God.

Yet even for true Christians, there is much more to wisdom than they normally think about. God’s instruction in James 1 state:. If any man lacks wisdom, he is to ask God for it; and, believing, he shall receive it. A lack of wisdom can cause many serious mistakes.

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (Jam. 3:13).

Notice that godly wisdom is entwined with knowledge. Why? The connection may be found in Proverbs 9:10, which tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. This we could call “cosmic wisdom”—wisdom that originates from the cosmos. It has to come from God’s own mind to allow our choices and processes to mean anything beyond what affects our immediate physical life. This may be bridged back again to our own behaviour:

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:14-15).

Devilish wisdom comes from the devil; from this earth. True wisdom is a gift from God. It takes wisdom to know what to do when God denies you something you earnestly desire, or how to navigate our fiery trials, for example.

James has the best definition of wisdom in the Bible, listing seven items that are outgrowths of godly wisdom: “But the wisdom that is from above is first:

1. pure
2. peaceable
3. gentle
4. easy to be entreated
5. full of mercy and good fruits
6. without partiality
7. without hypocrisy.

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (verses 17-18).

Here are the meanings of these seven outgrowths of wisdom:

1. Pure – means it is free from earthly, sensual, diabolical thoughts or motives. It must be free from guile, like Nathanael (John 1:47). We must have a pure motive. When we are being led by God’s Spirit, we are not calculating—trying to take advantage of the other person or to get something from them. We must be pure, and simply give as our heavenly Father gives! If we speak words of wisdom, we bring joy and encouragement. Our tongue produces spiritual honey.
2. Peaceable – it makes peace with others, especially within the family.
3. Gentle – meaning forbearing—not demanding, and not looking down on others.
4. Easy to be entreated –  or persuaded. It is happy to give in if the other person is right.
5. Full of mercy and good fruits – toward the misery of others—desiring to relieve them.
6. Without partiality – it is not swayed by self-interest, worldly honor or the fear of man. If Jacob, who favored Joseph over his other sons, had had this quality, the tragic problems wouldn’t have existed between Joseph and his brothers, and it would have changed the course of Israel’s history!
7. Without hypocrisy — what you see is what you get. It doesn’t pretend to be something it is not. It requires wisdom to present yourself as someone who is trying to grow and improve, yet who never tries to come across as someone you are not.

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (verse 18). The fruit of this righteousness will produce peace wherever we go. If any of you lack wisdom, go to God, and He will give it to you!

Study and learn what God’s wisdom will do in your life. If you understand it, you will be praying for more of a replenished supply of “the wisdom that is from above.”