Wisdom and Decision Making

Bible Passage: Proverbs 2:1-11

Every day we each make thousands of decisions, from insignificant trivialities to the big choices that shape the rest of our lives. When we think about what it means to live as a disciple in the everyday things of life, inevitably these decisions come into focus. It is in these decisions that we have the opportunity to honour Jesus in our choices, or to go a different way. Learning to make these choices well is called wisdom, and is a topic that the Bible has a lot to say about.

Store Up Wisdom (v1-2): The text is written from the perspective of a wise teacher, trying to guide a young man to make wise decisions in his life. This chapter begins with an instruction to ‘store up’ the commands of the teacher. This shows us something important about the nature of wisdom. We do not just happen upon wisdom at the moment a decision faces us, but we build up a store of wisdom in our lives that can then serve us when the big moment arrives. In other words, the foundations of good decisions are made a long time prior to the decision itself. We can commit ourselves to learning, through reading the Scriptures, receiving teaching, and asking good questions to people who are older and wiser than ourselves. As we do this we build up in ourselves a bank of knowledge and develop a ‘muscle memory’ for what godly choices look like in different situations. Whatever our current circumstances might be at the moment, storing up wisdom now is one of the most powerful ways we can prepare ourselves for what is to come.

Search for Wisdom (3-4): Verses 3 and 4 describe our posture when it comes to acquiring wisdom. We are to call out for it, cry aloud, look for it and search for it. Wisdom is compared to a hidden treasure that a person would go to great lengths to find. This shows the pursuit of wisdom as an active endeavour. Becoming wise is not just about sitting back and taking advantage of those moments where some insight comes our way (although this is a a good thing to do), but deliberately seeking out wisdom and knowledge. When we are facing big decisions then we are best served by not simply making a judgement call based on what we already know, but by seeking to learn all we can about the situation and the options before us, finding people or resources that can add to our understanding and enable us to make the best choice we can.

Posture Your Heart Towards God (5-6): In verse 5, we see a point raised that Proverbs comes back to over and over again – that wisdom comes from the fear of God. There is more to wisdom than ‘life hacks’ or making strategic choices day by day. Wisdom is about a whole life that is correctly ordered, and for this to be the case then God must be at the centre of that life. Fear of God simply means giving him the respect and reverence that he is due, and a life of wisdom is one where every decision is made with God in mind. Verse 6 adds to this by explaining that it is from God that true wisdom comes. If we want to make good choices in life, then making sure our relationship with God is strong is the absolute best starting point. Once this is in place then other questions of life will find their answers around it.

Build Character (7-11): The final few verses of this section speak about character, and how God shields, guards and protects the way of those whose way is upright. Developing godly character can serve as a guardrail for the decision we make. Each time we make a choice we have to decide between alternative ways, but character means that we are not starting from scratch in these things. When we build our lives on truth, purity and faithfulness we will see that many of the choices we make become simpler. Opting for a certain thing might seem tempting, but if it goes against the godly way of life we are building then it is not the right choice to make. Often these things can have a compounding effect. Moral compromises can often lead to further temptations and more compromises in a ‘slippery slope’, and by contrast each time we make a godly choice it further reinforces our character and helps when the moment for the next decision comes along.

Potential Applications:

• The passage speaks about seeking wisdom. Why not challenge people to think of one person they will try to spend time with, or one resource they will invest in in order to grow in wisdom?
• The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. You could invite people to make a decision to put their trust in Jesus for the first time.
• Perhaps there are people in the room who are facing big decisions at the moment. You could offer a time of prayer ministry for them as they wrestle with those choices.