Sticks: Root Your Decisions in Godly Wisdomಮಾದರಿ

Choosing Wisely Instead of Taking Matters into Your Own Hands

My husband, Aaron, and son, Caleb, welcome opportunities to emulate Bear Grylls, the hero of the Man vs. Wild TV show. I have zero desire to emulate Bear’s adventures, but I’d love to have as much knowledge and confidence as he does when he makes decisions in the wilderness. I want to navigate my life with wisdom––knowing what is good for me and what is not.

Here’s what I want to suggest to you: The Bible has a whole lot to teach us about discernment. We can’t treat the Bible like our personal decision-making handbook, but we can seek God’s wisdom in the Scriptures. And when we do, we’ll find that God invites us to learn from him, his people, and his creation.

Trees planted by God, our Cosmic Gardner, sprout from verses from the beginning of the Bible to the end, growing to provide life’s necessities. Two central trees begin the storyline of Scripture: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

When God created Adam and Eve, he encouraged them to enjoy all the trees in the garden, even the Tree of Life. But there was one limitation: They were not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It’s God’s garden and God’s covenant with Adam and Eve, so he gets to set the terms. Does that make you bristle? I know I do. My Western culture encourages me to be self-sufficient and independent without limitations. Good or bad, those are some of the messages I consume regularly. That’s why living on God’s terms can be a challenge.

But our limitations were designed by our Creator in love. As soon as I mention our limitations, some of us are already problem-solving our finitude. But taking matters into our own hands will not lead to a flourishing life. Adam and Eve show us that much is true.

Through the Tree of Life, God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed for a fruitful, flourishing, beautiful life. And yet, Adam and Eve chose to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. As their eyes opened to their nakedness, Adam and Eve tried to hide amongst the very trees God gave them as gifts.

Adam and Eve’s story under the two trees points us to a larger theme in Scripture: our fundamental sin, the thing that keeps us separated from God, is trying to take for ourselves what only God can give. Each day, we are faced with the same choices they were. Will we choose to live wisely in light of God’s good gifts or take matters into our own hands?

If you’re anything like me, you have experience with both. Take heart - God did not cancel his good plans for humanity when sin entered the world. Even when we stumble, our futures remain full of hope in Christ.

Prayer: God, I wake up in the morning wanting to take matters into my own hands. Reliance, trust, and faith do not come easy; that’s why I need you so desperately. Help me to rely on your wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.