The Bewildering Yet Beautiful Way of Wisdom

There are people who believe that when you become a Christian, life gets easier. I suppose in some ways that is true. Knowing I am forgiven makes living with myself and others much more tolerable. Having a clearly defined morality and a strong conviction to act on that morality helps with decision making. Does that really make life easier? I’m not so sure. Doing the right thing in any given situation can get rather tricky. God may show us how to discern wisdom from foolishness but it also means we recognize foolishness all over the place! With a deep moral conviction to bring good to a bad situation, we may find ourselves asking this question:

“What do I do about this?”

I think the next question we ask is very important. Does this issue exist within my God-given realm of responsibility? If so, you’re on. If the problem is with children under your care, or with someone who reports to you on the job or with a trusted friend, you’re probably going to have to do something about it. Even then, it’s not always apparent what to do. Sometimes the best thing to do is to listen. Other times, it’s best to act decisively and quickly, or to wait until the time is right, or even to do nothing at all. So which one is the right thing to do? I don’t know. Wisdom is not just knowing right from wrong, but how to navigate toward the right in a world of broken people. That’s not easy.

Sometimes the situation is out of your control and your influence is little or even nothing. You may try to force your way into the situation, but that could actually make things worse. Or maybe the situation is such that it needs someone to step into the fray and courageously speak the truth. That’s what Luther did. Sometimes we just need to accept the fact that it isn’t our battle to fight and return to the responsibilities that God has already given us. In any given instance, the wise choice may be any of these options. Still, not easy.

By this time, you may be frustrated and wonder if it was foolish to read this article at all. That may be true. I’m simply trying to tell it as it is. I walk with people through complex situations like these all the time. People generally want to do the right thing, but there’s no handy dandy guide to make decisions in every situation. But wait! Isn’t that why we have the Bible? I’m sorry, no. The Bible will not tell you how to guide Aunt Mildred to stop giving money to the people who are scamming her. It will however guide you in the way of wisdom. It will train your heart to want what is good and to seek justice for others. It will teach you to love both the victim and the perpetrator. It will show you the way of forgiveness and instill the hope for reconciliation. It’s just not going to give you the words to say when you have that crucial conversation with Aunt Mildred.

That’s why we have the Holy Spirit. That’s why we have each other. That’s why we pray and submit our lives and our choices to God. I have no easy answers to how we navigate life according to God’s wisdom, but I do have this. Let’s struggle for good together. Let’s carry one another’s burdens. Let’s discern God’s wisdom from the Bible collectively. Let’s worship God together. Life as a Christian may not be easier, but it’s way better than the alternative. Let’s walk this bewildering yet beautiful way of wisdom together.

Blessings,
Pastor Seabaugh