So many flavours, how will I ever choose?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart 
 and lean not on your own understanding; 
in all your ways submit to him, 
 and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3: 5-6

Life is full of so many choices and decisions ranging from which gelati flavour should I have, to who should I marry.  Are we left to ourselves to try and work it all out?  Lemon, mixed berry, bacio, pistachio it's so hard to choose.

You won't know if you don't ask.  This proverb tells us that if we trust God and forego our own limited understanding that he will make our paths straight.  I find this to be such a comfort and have tested this promise many times over.  It is as simple as asking God to open the right opportunity and close the door to the wrong one.  You may find that when it comes to making that big decision, you will have a real peace about what is the right choice to make.  In regards to which gelati to choose? It probably doesn't really matter too much (though I do find the fruity ones are the nicest )

Submission sounds like such a weak thing to do, but there is real power and success to be gained.  So to give you an example.  The boss of BMW comes along and says, alright gang today we are going to create and build something, I want everyone to go off by themselves and do the best they can.  Don't bother talking to each other because then you might have to compromise your own greatness and submit to someone else's ideas.  You can see that if no one communicated that you would never create anything great.  Conversely, when you have a master plan to work towards and you use each person's strengths in context of the whole picture, a master piece is created.

So, God knows what is going on and is waiting for you to ask him, trust him and walk through the door he opens.  Are you big enough to realise you can't do it on your own?

Warning! Your life will self-destruct in 3..2..1..

The prudent see danger and take refuge, 
 but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Proverbs 27:12

Are you one step away from self-destruction without even realising it?

Throughout life we are faced with many circumstances that require us to re-evaluate our situation and decide on what our next move might be. The ability to make a timely decision can greatly affect the direction in which our life travels and save us from unnecessary pain and suffering.  Can you take action now that will save you from catastrophe?

This proverb differentiates between two responses, the simple and the prudent. A quick search on Google gives this definition for prudence: Acting with or showing care and thought for the future.  To me this really speaks of having a big picture mentality.  In looking to the future and understanding the long-term ramifications of our actions we can make more informed and constructive decisions.  In contrast, the simple don't even want to think about it and keep ploughing forward with their head down.

Maybe it's time you took a long hard look at where you stand in contrast to where you want to be in the future. A little perspective might free you from a destructive relationship, a dead end job,  excessive spending habits, alcoholism or maybe just laziness that has prevented you from even thinking honestly about the your future.

The pinnacle of human strength, you don't even have to lift a finger

Better a patient man than a warrior,
 a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32

Challenge your concept as to what is really a strong person's response to conflict. 

Warriors are always depicted as the hero in our stories, the picture of a real man.  It seems counter cultural to suggest otherwise.  Yet this proverb proposes that it is the bigger 'man' who walks away from a fight.

The power of this concept was really highlighted to me when teaching the kids from the commission flats to make good life choices.  These kids face serious confrontations everyday, whether it be due to race, religion or even the estate in which they live.  As a kid, the world tells them to fight back and stand up for themselves because no one else will.

When you tell these kids that it takes more strength to keep your mouth shut and walk away because it is only the weak who retaliate, suddenly the game changes.  I have seen a kid fired up ready to start swinging, a worker gets in their face and starts challenging them as to whether they are weak or strong.  The strong person controls their anger and walks away, this becomes the new benchmark that the kids strive for.

The challenge this proverb puts forward is next time you feel yourself getting fired up and you're justifying your anger, remember that it is only a weak person who retaliates.  The strong bite their tongue, just like my mother always told me 'If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'.

Against what do you weigh your decisions?

A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 14:15

Every decision we make is subject to numerous influences. We are living in the information age and have seen the rise of the Internet and popular media with no shortage of information and opinions accessible to us.

Many people fail to understand the impact that skewed 'fact', advertising and biased media coverage can have on the choices we make.

The goal then is to be prudent.  To give proper thought to our decisions, weighing up each alternative.  

The implication is therefore that you will have something to weigh your decisions against.  If we look at the principle of the counter balance scales.  The outcome of determining something's weight is only correct if the measurement weights themselves are accurate.

Therefore we must make sure that our foundation of understanding is strong.  The Bible provides us with Godly wisdom and numerous examples of stories that demonstrate the benefits of adherence and the consequences of rejection of these principles.  It is also important to surround yourself with people whose opinions you respect, enabling you to seek advice and learn from observation.

Lord, help me to be prudent in each step that I take.  Let me grow in wisdom and understanding that I may have a strong foundation from which to draw.  But most importantly, let me trust in you and always bring my decisions before you.