Alva Review-Courier -

James 1:5 NIV: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

In the summer of 1940, my grandfather, Murray Kearns, and his father, Edwin J. Kearns, were on their way into Liberal, Kansas, because my great-grandfather wanted to get his hair cut. As I remember the story as told to me by my father, my great-grandfather was insistent that he needed his hair cut that day. Little did they know the impact that decision would have on their lives!

We make decisions every day. Big decisions, little decisions. It seems as if the choices before us are endless. We make decisions constantly. According to the University of North Carolina, on average, we make 35,000 conscious decisions every single day. No wonder we don’t always know where we want to go eat after church on Sunday. Columbia University calls that phenomenon decision fatigue, saying the brain tires just like a muscle.

Is every decision we make going to change the course of our lives? Probably not! Whether we drink Coke instead of Pepsi or eat a generic brand of ice cream instead of Breyer’s probably won’t have a lasting impact on our lives. But, what about the decision of whom we should marry or if we should confront the person that just cut us off so they could get in line in front of us? We have choices before us every day that have to be made. Some are easy and some are hard. But every choice we make should be made based on the wisdom we have within us.

Let me get back to my grandfather and great-grandfather. On that fateful day in the summer of 1940, someone else made a decision too. A man decided he was okay to drive after getting drunk and ended up T-boning my grandfather’s car. It killed my great-grandfather, Edwin Kearns, and hurt my grandfather enough that he was unable to attend his father’s funeral because he was still in the hospital due to the severity of his injuries.

Am I saying that if they had prayed they would have known not to go to town? I don’t know. Sure, it’s possible. But more than anything, I believe that we need to apply wisdom for every decision we make and choice we have to ponder. If we are unsure, ask for more wisdom like James tells us. We can always use more of God’s wisdom in our lives.

I pray you choose to follow the Lord’s leading in your lives today and give Him glory by loving your neighbor!

Thank you, Lord, for the fact that you desire for us to want your wisdom. You will not withhold your wisdom from us so help us to desire You! In the precious and holy Name of Jesus, Amen! Blessings!