Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)
There are two groups of people that the Bible talks pretty consistently about from cover to cover: the wise and the foolish.
The Biblical writers continuously implore us to pursue wisdom and avoid foolishness. They also remind us to hang out with wise people and avoid fools. When the Bible talks about wisdom and foolishness, it is not referring to people who are smart and people who are stupid. It is not talking about the educated vs. the uneducated or those with high IQs and those with learning disabilities. It is referring to behavior, not thought. The difference between a wise person and a fool is what they
do with what they know.
This week we have been looking at some helpful questions from Andy Stanley’s book, Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets. In the book, he shares five questions we can ask when making our next move in life. The fourth question Stanley encourages us to ask is
the Maturity Question: “What is the wise thing to do?”
There are so many things at play when we make decisions. The situation. Our emotions. Our desires (I really want this!) The expectations of other people (My parents always wanted me to become a…). All of those factors can cause us to make unwise decisions because they make us, or someone who matters to us, happy. So, we need to ask ourselves, “What is the wise thing to do?”
The Apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Ephesus to do the same thing. Paul told them to be careful how they lived and to make the most of every opportunity. He wanted them to use wisdom to avoid evil and foolishness. When you do that, Paul asserted, you will really understand what God’s will is. In order to filter out foolishness, Andy Stanley expands the Maturity Question in this way: “In light of my past experience, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?”
All of us have made decisions and seen how they turned out. We’ve been there before. What was the wise thing to do if we could do it all over again? What’s the wise thing to do
given our current situation? And what would be the wisest route to take based on our future plans? Peer pressure and personal desire can cause us to make some pretty bad decisions. But what is the wise thing to do?
The next time you have a decision to make, try applying the wisdom test to your decision. What is wise in the past, present, and future?