As we go through life seeking answers and solutions to lives problems, issues, decisions etc, sometimes we go ahead without any spiritual guidance at all as to what we should do. Then push comes to shove and those same situations come back to bite us in the butt because we didn't seek the guidance that was necessary to steer us clear from some life altering decisions. Solomon the wisest man who ever lived has a lot to say about seeking guidance in Proverbs. It is a place to look for instructions on godly wisdom. This guidance is applicable to life and daily living, and this same guidance comes through wisdom.
Wisdom is not a trait we are born with actually. It is an ingredient that we acquire as we go through life's experiences. Our wisdom really manifest itself in our actions. The saying "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me," is a perfect example of how we acquire wisdom over time. In essence we can't keep doing the same things and expect different results. Little children do that and when things don't work for them they throw tantrums. But as they get older the behavior expectation becomes different because they are growing up and that is what is expected. Unless they are medically retarded then we should expect anything from them sympathetically. The same goes for us as adults. The older we get and the more things we go through in life, the expectation is that we 'grow' through them and act age appropriately. That is the process of maturity.
Now wisdom doesn't work by itself, it works with understanding and knowledge; the ability to understand and the ability to know. These factors all work together to help us maneuver through life. But most importantly wisdom is embedded in fearing the Almighty, that's what makes us wise, knowing that God is God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Solomon says. So how do we exhibit wisdom in life when we have situations to deal with in life because at the end of the day, life is about choices and good decision making. It doesn't matter what we have to face. Everything is a choice or a decision. Funny enough both words do not mean the same thing.
The result of a decision is a choice. This does seem complicated in a way but it isn't because a decision is when you have to choose something. A choice involves the mental process of judging and a decision is also the mental process of selecting your course of action resulting in your choice. Either process involves some kind of thinking through and making up one's mind. We are all created with that will to choose. God gave us that right to choose. (I know that it is His desire for us to use that right He gave us to please Him than not. But He is a patient God, He holds time and eternity in His hands. He can wait us out.) So when we have to decide or choose and we seek spiritual guidance the answer maybe varying. They will obviously be YES, NO or WAIT.
When God's answer is YES, He aligns situations in such a way that the answer will be forthcoming and bears witness to what He is doing or about to do. Everything falls into place and then we know it's time to move forward as He leads the way because He's already set things in motion. In this regard, if He is leading the pack then we have to flow with Him on His pace and know that His yes does mean yes no matter what. Even if there are glitches, things are already in motion and the lesson of wisdom is still being taught. When God's answer is NO, that definitive no is followed by Him shutting everything down from the jump. Nothing moves! He doesn't want it to move and this is where our wisdom or lack thereof comes in. If we are wise through our experience we'll flow with Him. If we're not, then the end results will prove itself. Our maturity level is being tested and we can act accordingly. If not, we can act like a kid and have it our way.
But here is where it gets tricky, when God says WAIT. This is a moment in our lives when we take a pause break. We have to during this time, pull out all the stops in our wisdom clause to know how to wait. Waiting is a process of inactivity but in that period of time we can learn a few things. It is the prime opportunity to learn a thing or two about ourselves and reassess; to 'grow up' a little bit more. In the process of 'growing through' our waiting period we may find that we are changing to fit our present situation and we can readily accept where we are, and accept the NO as NO! NO means that, what we think we want, may not be what we really need. The wait answer is more beneficial to us. It is not so much God holding back His blessings from us. He is giving us time to look ahead with Him to see what He sees. It is in that process of inactivity that we can take the blinders off, taking the mask off even, break down if we have to but let the process take its course. For during the waiting process things isn't always what they seem, things also don't look the same in Winter as it does in the Spring. Waiting gives us time to make assessments, backing away from the situation and looking at it from all angles. (At least that's what we should be doing.) When something is too close to the eyes we can't see too well.
After we've waited during the process, it has to end because seasons change; nothing last forever. The seasons are matriculated into life. 'Wait' may help us to cut our losses, saving us years of heartaches and pain. When the waiting is over and it's all said and done, just maybe we will see and hopefully we will learn the lesson after looking back; that NO was really the answer we needed at that point in our life but it came while we learned to accept wait as an answer.
Sisterly
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