Beyond BeliefSample

Asking people for advice is easier said than done, especially if you ask more than one person. What if you ask two people for advice on the same problem, and they give you completely opposite answers? For example, you're thinking of breaking up a relationship. You ask one friend if they think it's a good idea, and they tell you to go for it. You ask another friend the same question, and they tell you to stick it out. Which friend do you listen to?

It's the same way when we're looking to God for guidance. There are so many influences telling us how to live, from people on social media and friends to parents and teachers. With all those voices bouncing around in our heads, it's not always easy to tell what wisdom is from God and what's not. How do we decide?

The Bible tells us that God's wisdom will always stand out from other sources of wisdom. Look at the list James puts together for his readers in today's Scripture reading. For example, James says God's wisdom is peaceful, considerate of the feelings of others, and merciful . . .

So if the wisdom you're following is aggressive, vengeful, or stirs up conflict with people? Then you need to be careful because those things aren't a sign of God's wisdom. It's not always easy to know the right thing to do, but we can learn to recognize God's wisdom when we hear it.