Proverbs 16.25
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
There are five critical components of thinking and decision-making to which you need to pay careful attention: principles, process, perspective, people, and purpose. Yesterday we looked at the principles and process of decision-making. Today we look at perspective, people, and purpose.
3) How do you seek to gain perspective before you make a decision or take action?
We all have blind spots. Worse, we are often blind to our blind spots. We don’t know what we don’t know. This is why it is so important to reject arrogance and embrace humility. Let me repeat a theme from this week: Don’t believe everything you think.
I addressed this topic in a devotional this past June. Let me repeat what I wrote. In order to make good decisions, we need good information. We need to see situations clearly. We need to listen carefully. Clarity of vision determines quality of response. The more clearly you see a situation, the more effectively you can respond.
The challenge is that we don’t always see situations as clearly as we need to. Our perception is limited, but it feels complete. We have blind spots. This is The Spotlight Effect we talked about last week. Worse, we are often blind to our blind spots. We don’t know what we don’t know. We are unaware that we are unaware.
We need the discipline to expand our frame. Extend our vision. Broaden our perspective. Widen our lens. See what needs to be seen and hear what needs to be heard.
Here are questions to expand your perspective and help you see clearly.
- What do I not see that I need to see?
- What do I see but am discounting?
- What am I pretending not to see?
- How do others see the situation?
This leads us to the next critical component of thinking…
4) What people do you look to for advice and insight in your decisions? These are the influencers who shape the choices you make. This is the “who” of your thinking.
Seek the advice and insight of wise, godly people. “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Prov 15.22). Do not allow the wrong people or groups to influence your thinking. “Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble” (Prov 24.1-2). Choose your influencers and counsellors wisely!!
The book of Proverbs addresses your friendships and relationships, and it warns against two errors: a) Being arrogant and thinking you don’t need the input and guidance of wise counselors; and, b) Listening to the advice of the wrong people. Proverbs admonishes you to listen to the wise people in your life. Seek their counsel. Get their perspective. Tap into their wisdom and experience.
5) And finally, what purpose guides your thinking? What are you trying to accomplish with your choices? This is the “why” of your thinking.
Make decisions in alignment with God’s purposes. Do not get caught in the gravitational pull of self-centeredness. You are called to be an agent of the kingdom of God, so think and act in alignment with that calling. “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph 4.1).
Here’s the bottom line: Think about the way you think. Evaluate your decision-making with the five critical components, and as you evaluate, pray and ask the Lord to show you where you need to improve.
It isn’t difficult to see the negative impact of getting any one of these four components wrong. There are devastating consequences if our thinking is guided by the wrong principles, or we use an ineffective process, or we are influenced by the wrong people, or we pursue a self-centered agenda.
Trust God and do the work of being disciplined in your thinking. This is the heart of wisdom.
