Be Wise

"O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:12)

It seems so simple. So many bad decisions could be avoided if you just asked yourself: "Is this a wise course of action?" How many of the bad decisions in my life have been because I didn't ask myself that.

Now, one could also argue that there are a lot of things that perhaps we feel prompted to do that DON'T seem wise. In fact, they seem downright foolish! (Pioneer trek across the country on foot with handcarts anyone?) However, the wise thing to do is follow God. Always. He will not lead you astray, no matter how nonsensical His directions are. There are many examples in history and scripture that prove this out. So you might say, then, that given His track record, it is WISE to follow God. This leads to another point of wisdom. If it is always wise to follow God, we must know how to follow him. So one decision we might make to be wise would be to learn of Him. Study His plan, and learn especially to recognize the Holy Ghost and the way promptings come to you.

There are times in my life when I've been faced with decisions and not known the wise course of action. I think in those times especially, we need to know how God communicates with us. We need to know what He would have us do. Especially if the promptings we are receiving seem like foolish ideas. Because that creates a little conflict in us: we know it is wise to follow promptings, but the voice of the natural side of us (and maybe some people around us) is screaming "that's not a wise decision". It is easier to feel confident in making one of these kinds of decisions if we KNOW the prompting came from God (because, as I mentioned, we know that following God's promptings is always the wise thing to do).

Probably something that has occurred more frequently is that I knew the wise course of action, but I drowned out that wisdom with my own worldly desires. I think this could mostly be solved if I indeed stopped for a second and really asked myself when I make decisions if they are the wisest decisions I could make.

The best part about this concept is that while it requires a good deal of faith in God, it also allows us to be agents unto ourselves. To act, and not only be acted upon. We can do things confidently in wisdom. Do we need God to tell us every day that the outfit we have picked out is good or not? No. We can be wise with our choices, and dress modestly and appropriately for the activity we will be participating in. Are there times when God might prompt you regarding your clothing/wardrobe choices? Absolutely. You must live in a way that you can receive His promptings, but you can make decisions on your own.

Just be wise about the decisions you make.