Are you in a time of decision where you are weighing whether a decision is good or is it wise? These can be hard to decipher in times of decision making.

It can be as simple as choosing what kind of bread you should eat with your meal or, on the other scale,  how to invest an inheritance that came your way. They both affect your life, just in different aspects. What seems good may differ significantly from what is wise.

After taking a trip to France this past summer, I have been in a time of grappling with decisions about my everyday living. It was hard to come back from that beautiful place and have to deal with mundane decisions. To tell the truth, I have been leaning towards good instead of wise. Dadgum it, I just enjoyed good more!

I think part of it was that my diet completely changed while I was there. We were eating LOTS of cheese and bread, which I avoided when possible at home. Sometimes, it was what was available to us and, other occasions, it was because there were great bakeries within a short walking distance to compliment our meals.

In France, it’s not just about the meal; it’s about the experience. And we experienced well! We had rich conversations that went along with our decadent meals that made it even more satisfying. I didn’t gain weight, mainly because we walked an average of 6 miles a day in higher than normal summer temperatures. Our physical activity plus the fact that French food does not have harmful GMOs balanced our food choices.

The problem was, when we got home and wanted those bakery items, we were not balancing them with walking or exercising as we did there. It was hard to go back to making wise meal planning of healthy salads and simple fare.

As in almost all vacations, it is hard to get back to normal life. It’s a constant fight to balance the good that comes from fun, rest, and relaxation to being wise to get up early and have that much needed prayer and journaling time when going into a very busy day.

There are many things that can influence whether we make bad, good, or wise decisions. I think we make bad decisions much of the time through ignorance or selfishness. But the difference in making good and wise decisions can be tricky. It may be incredibly hard to stop working on a project that has a time crunch to switch to a relationship building or family time. I think it comes down to issues of the heart.

There are two excellent teachings on this subject. One from Dr Caroline Leaf entitled Why Do We Keep Making Wrong Decisions? In it, Dr Leaf explains understanding how to be a proactive decision-maker and recognize the conditions under which we make bad decisions.

The second is from a Shane Willard in his video The Wise vs The Good. He identifies ways in which we make good decisions, but they may not be the wisest thing to do. He gives a very fresh and entertaining spin on this subject and helps explain the differences in making good vs wise decisions.

Knowing I need to focus more on making wise decisions versus good ones has opened my eyes to ways I am spending my time and money. My prayer each day is that the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding will guard my decisions in every part of my day and night. This leads to a more prosperous and peaceful lifestyle in every way. There are so many good scriptures that focus on God’s wisdom. I like Philippians 4:6-8, which is an excellent example of how to live an intentional and holistic lifestyle.

Are you grappling with decisions hard to distinguish between good vs wise? Have you prayed about them and committed them to God? If so, how has He been leading you? If not, what do you need to change in your life for the capacity to make wise decisions?

Please leave comments of specific ways you have learned to make wise decisions and how it has affected your life.