Wisdom for the FutureSample

Question 4: What are the options?

You may not consider yourself creative, but you are. You’re made in the image of God, the Creator. You may not play in a band or produce breath-taking sketches, but you have a God-given, Spirit-led ability to think creatively about your future. Today we’ll ask ourselves the fourth question: What are the options? Answering that question opens our minds to beautiful, creative solutions we may never have thought possible.

Wisdom is the incredible gift that will help you pick out the right path into your future. It’s the combination of knowing what to do and how to do it. The fourth question (What are the options?) is a critical next step in the creative thinking process. You may experience some inner tension when you ask yourself this question because you’re so aware of your limitations. You may see some possibilities, but you may also need to do some blue-sky thinking and dreaming around some apparent impossibilities. Considering options isn’t the same as deciding what you’ll do. You needn’t be realistic. You’re allowed to think up impossibilities beyond the constraints of your current reality. Then ask yourselves why these options are impossible, and what options might present themselves if time and money weren’t a problem. Imagining options in this way is an important step in uncovering God’s wisdom for your future because, with Him, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).

As a great start to opening your mind to the creativity of your creative God, think of at least ten options or solutions for each of the deeper desires related to the challenge you face. Some of the options may feel unrealistic, but you may also generate some startling possibilities. May the God who turns seas into highways and makes paths through the wilderness surprise you with His wondrous ways of opening your eyes and mind to all He can accomplish in your circumstances.