Do you give thought to your next step?

Information is easily and quickly accessible, but wisdom requires some time to acquire. It seems a simple thought, but it takes time to think. Those who think wisdom is simple are more likely to believe answers they have googled. The prudent person understands that wisdom is taking the necessary time to think about what they know, to determine what they should do.

We have all made snap decisions and some of them have worked out well. Sometimes our quick choices have led us to do something we needed to undo later. We live in a culture that values quick decision making. We also live in a culture that believes the most efficient road to knowledge is the internet. But that’s true only some of the time.

We also live in a culture often driven by opinion rather than truth. “The simple believes everything,” and that has become more and more evident among those whose thinking has been impacted by technology and the media.

Knowledge is most effective when it has been thoughtfully considered and prayerfully thought through. It takes time to submit what we have come to know to the One who knows all things. That is the difference between having knowledge and having wisdom.

God provided his word and his Holy Spirit so we could have God’s thoughts in our lives. Most of our choices have both a physical and spiritual perspective. If we know God’s word on the subject, we have the truth. God doesn’t always function in the realm of the practical or logical. In fact, God often leads us in a direction that requires faith. He wants us to know we are better off trusting him than ourselves.

It takes time to think about what we know in light of what God has said. That is why Scripture tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. When we are prudent and “give thought to our steps” the words and will of Christ direct our choices. It takes some time, but mostly it takes our willingness to include our Lord in our thought process.

Jesus wants us to believe him and not to believe anything which he has said isn’t biblical wisdom. That is the difference between being simple-minded and prudent with our choices. Taking time to think with God will save us from making a lot of unwise choices and help us undo a few mistakes we made along the way.

Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly so that we may discern God’s truth over the world’s.