One Word, Five Voices: Wise

Sometimes, you can have years of study, research and knowledge about a situation, but still not be wise enough to handle it.

I felt that way before I became a mom. I read books on breastfeeding, talked with experienced moms about what to add to the registry, and made lists of milestones and dates they should be hit. I stuffed myself full of knowledge in preparation for his arrival and still didn't feel ready. The thing is . . . wisdom didn't come from any of those places—it came from an ability God gave me—the fact that I knew my baby better than anyone.

True wisdom is proper discernment. It's knowing when something just doesn't feel right and having the moxie to change course if needed. It's being able to trust, and for me, have faith to hear what it is God wants me to do in a situation.

That's hard sometimes. Usually what God wants me to do is uncomfortable, or at the very least, not what I would necessarily choose on my own. Sometimes it means going against the status quo, which can be even harder. But what I continue to learn is that on the other side of whatever that situation is, I am always wiser, always stronger, and always more faithful.

So do I still gorge myself on information when I'm unsure about something? Sure. It's in my nature. But the more faithful I've become, the more I realize I must also indulge in a heavy dose of prayer and discernment as well.

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 Check out what my friends think of today's word on their blogs: Shawn, Heather, Steph and Brian.