Wisdom In All Things

Eleanor Roosevelt said that we should "do one thing every day that scares you." Sure, I get it. The status quo is not very exciting, and, for different reasons, could possibly even be unhealthy. Life requires (some) risk. After all, "nothing ventured, nothing gained". Here's something I think we can work with. Risk-taking is a willingness, to take a justifiable risk, given the preferred outcome. T...

"We need to orient our lives on the clear statements of Scripture regarding God's will. And here is one: "For freedom Christ has set us free. (from Gal. 5:1)" Christ's will for you is that you enjoy freedom. Where you go to school, what job you do, where you live, etc., are not nearly so crucial as whether you stand fast in freedom." - John Piper Most crucial, and foundational, is finding freedom...

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35 Are you loving enough, or in a way, that it is even noticeable? Or, at best, is it at a level and consistency that it is what people think of first when they think of you? Not just your friends and family, but total strangers? That is what John 13:35 is essentially saying. We will be known–as a...

We can't become so 'wise' that we are able to avoid all the scary parts of life. Wisdom is the means by which we navigate what God decides to allow--and intends to use--in our lives for our good and His glory. That includes fear. Read the transcript for Choosing Faith Over Fear Sign up for the Wisdom In All Things weekly email

Heaven is not just a destination, but a mindset. Of Colossians 3:2 (“set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth”), J. B. Lightfoot, English theologian and Bishop of Durham (1800’s), states that we “must not only seek heaven; [we] must also think heaven.”  As we set our minds on ‘things above’ we are able to put ‘things below’ into the right perspective. Read the tr...

Becoming a "Proverbs 31 Man" is an intriguing perspective to have on this chapter in Proverbs. You, like me, may have been more familiar with Proverbs 31 largely referring to the characteristics of a godly woman.  In order to be a “Proverbs 31 Man”, we must become a “Proverbs Man”, which is something we all are to be, married or not. Read the transcript for Becoming a Proverbs 31 Man Sign up for t...

"No pressure, no diamonds.” – Thomas Carlyle, Scottish philosopher Equal to the pressure we face is the strength and wisdom God provides to walk in conjunction with His purpose to yield the intended outcome. While it is unavoidable–and it shouldn’t be avoided entirely, given its potential benefits–we can ‘get a grip’ on how to maintain the ability to remain steadfast under pressure. Read the trans...

It is God’s leading that makes 1 Thess. 5:21-22 (NASB) possible: “examine everything carefully, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every evil.” This “biblical sleuthing” is what John MacArthur points out as the “responsibility of every Christian… discernment is not optional for the believer–it is required.” Read the transcript for Discernment: The Commitment to Choosing Well Sign up for the W...

Our being wounded or wondering should be a hint that we’re running the risk of attracting unwanted attention, which is why Peter urges us to think clearly and remain vigilant. When you take a good look at yourself, are you giving the “roaring lion” any reason to target you? Are you unknowingly or unnecessarily vulnerable? Read the transcript for The Roaring Lion Hunts the Wounded and the Wanderers...

I mean for us to “noodle” in the best possible way. While enjoying the practical benefits of journaling, we gain all the more by recording this intentional quest for wisdom. To the point John Piper makes about “living for the glory of Christ”, this is a quest worthy of capturing and remembering. Read the transcript for Journaling to Capture Wisdom In All Things Sign up for the Wisdom In All Things...

We’re getting it from the inside, from the outside, and when we trace it back to its source, it leads us directly to Satan, The Father of Lies. Satan is a pro at reflecting the light, deep deception, and manipulation. We need to pay particular attention to this because of the severity of the consequences. Satan’s single aim is to utterly destroy you by any means he is allowed. This makes guarding...

Just as the 10 Commandments prescribe for us what we are to avoid, did you know they also point to a “positive side”?  They provide for us a framework for living out the character of God, and how are lives are to be distinct. In front of the commandment is that positive application that we can recite in our quiet times, if not at the start of each day. Read the transcript for The 10 Commandments:...

Finding rest in God can be somewhat deceptive because it can too easily be confused with relief. Relief is beneficial, but it is not rest. The rest that Jesus provides isn’t physical, emotional, or mental relief–but is restorative and rejuvenating and frees us from soul-weariness. He addresses the problem, not the symptoms. Read the transcript of Finding Rest, Not Relief, in God Sign up for the Wi...

We’ve talked in the past about having  a good decision analysis and developing a heuristic to better ensure we make the right decisions. But how can we expect to keep making the right decision when there are so many to make?  Fortunately, we have what is revealed through Scripture to reign in our random and conflicting thoughts and feelings. But our reception of, and response to, God’s leading is...

Living life on mission, does not mean we need to be a missionary. However, we can easily see how our lives might look strikingly similar. Learning Mission from Missionaries transcript. Sign up for the Wisdom in All Things email.

"The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish, and wicked practice, of profane cursing and swearing is growing into fashion; he hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms..." - George Washington in a memo to his army Profanity demonstrates...

God cannot lie (Titus 2:1), and we are called to reflect that by being “truth-tellers worthy of trust.” From his book The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life, Pastor Colin Smith goes on to reveal that this means we are to “deal in truth rather than lies, in precision rather than distortion, and in honesty rather than deception.” Trust truly defines our relationships, and we earn trust by demonstrat...

Here, I think, is where the pandemic provided a benefit. We were forced to give our full attention to what was most important. There was nothing to fear missing out on. The world had all but stopped. The pandemic provided some relief from FOMO, if not an opportunity to self-correct, and allowed us to, as they say, not let a ‘perfectly good crisis go to waste’. But in order to do that, we needed to...

Usually, it is the inverse of J. R. R. Tolkien’s aphorism from The Fellowship of the Ring that we hear: ‘all that glitters isn’t gold’. However, his quote more aptly points us to what we should keep in mind when investing: "all that is gold does not glitter". We shouldn’t be fooled by what something costs. We can pay far too much for far too little–career, property, what makes us happy. Yet, there...

“Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.” – John Wooden (a warning he made in Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court when our excuses interfere with our ability to evaluate ourselves.) Wooden echoes the bolder statement made by Socrates that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. Which is to say, that a life worth living is only possible when exa...

While God is capable of granting our every request, He is especially pleased to grant our request for discernment and understanding. Solomon first worships God before humbly approaching Him to ask not for fame and fortune, but to know right and wrong so that he may lead God’s people, and influence others, honorably. Read the transcript for The Kind of Request That Pleases God Sign up for the Wisdo...

Solomon’s request of God for wisdom teaches us that more important than asking good questions is that we ask the right questions of the right person. Solomon made two very important requests of God and did so after properly positioning his heart to receive God’s response. Read the transcript for Solomon Makes His Request for Wisdom Sign up for the Wisdom In All Things weekly email

Solomon’s first missteps as King are a reminder to us that our obedience cannot be partial. When that is the case, our hearts become divided and our lives a contradiction to what exercising God’s power and wisdom truly looks like. Read the transcript for Solomon's Missteps as King Sign up for the Wisdom In All Things weekly email

David loved his son Solomon. In wanting the very best for him, he gave his son–and us–the wisest counsel a person could ever give to someone they cared about. To realize the potential of what God has called us to be, we must heed the charge that David gives his son Solomon: walk in God’s ways. Read the transcript for Walk in God's Ways: David's Charge to Solomon Sign up for the Wisdom In All Thing...

The rise and fall of Solomon centers on how a divided heart can destroy a kingdom. It is imperative that we follow God’s ways in order to see God’s desired outcomes. Read the transcript for The Rise and Fall of Solomon Sign up for the Wisdom In All Things weekly email