Life is full of opportunities to either push on or hold off. Do I push to get my building permit, or trust God and wait? Do I put pressure on the guy who owes me rent, or back off and pray about it? Do I confront or let go and move on?

There are very few clear cut answers.  But God is always ready to help us. As it says in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Then in James 3:17 there is a description of this heavenly wisdom. And it is given in a certain order:

1. pure

2. peace loving

3. sweetly reasonable,

4. approachable and submissive,

5. full of mercy

6. and good fruit,

7. impartial,

8. and sincere.

First is purity, and when it comes to  making decisions, this has to start in our motives. For instance, I have a renter who has not paid his rent this month. He promised to pay on the 11th, then on the 19th, but still hasn’t paid. With these failures to follow through what should my motive be in talking with him? Vent my anger? Set him straight? Beg him? Threaten him? None of these are pure motives.

So, after praying about it, I have settled on the motive of helping him be honest, doing what he promised to do. This is a positive  motive, one that will benefit him and may solve the problem, and is in line with what God wants us to do: edify others. And I will begin acting on this  motive by praying for him, asking God to move him, to prepare him for the coming conversation.

So, if you want to be wise, first check your motives, reject the negative motives, act out of positive, God pleasing motives.

More on heavenly wisdom over the next few days.

Picture: praying for heavenly wisdom.