God knows what’s right in every circumstance. We do not. “There is a way that
seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death”. And yet, God installs us
as decision-makers nonetheless. He intends us to struggle through, and
answer, tough questions throughout our lives: Should I take the job? Should I
marry the girl? Am I becoming the man or woman God intends me to become?
How should I deal with pain and fear and temptation? Tough questions,
indeed. Huge implications.
King Solomon was an epic decision-maker. God told him, “I give you a wise
and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like
you shall arise after you”. Fortunately for the rest of us, Solomon passed along
some of that God-given wisdom, in the form of the Book of Proverbs.
For tough questions, Solomon wrote, we must look first to God. One way to do
that, since he empowers us as agents of his wisdom, is actually to look to our
brothers and sisters in Christian community. Wrote Solomon, “a wise man
listens to advice”. Counsel from other people is one of our most powerful tools.
We needn’t use it for every question. But, for the toughest ones, we must.
Gather some people from BHLC—two or three, at least, probably not more
than five or six—who know you and with whom you’ll be transparent. Plan for
an hour or two. Describe your situation—the question, the background, the
possible courses of action. Ask them to discern with you, not to judge.
Encourage them to ask questions and help you search for wisdom. I bet you’ll
be surprised before the end.
