“The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, ‘What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!’ Solomon replied, ‘Give me an understanding heart . . . that I may discern between good and evil,’ The lord was pleased with Solomon’s reply and was glad that he had asked for wisdom.” (I Kings 3: 5, 9, 10)

Making wise choices is not always the easiest thing to do. It helps to know some principles that will guide your decision making. I have listed and expanded on six principles taken from the book Mind Click by Dr Jeremy P. Crosby.

“Do the right thing, not the easy thing.” Sometimes you may be faced with a decision that will please your friends but may hurt your family, or please your family and disappoint your friends. Then you have to ask yourself the question, “What is the right thing to do?” or “What would a wise person do here?” Is it more important to please friends at the cost of hurting your family? The right thing would be to please your family, and disappoint friends, because a true friend will understand the importance of good family relationship. “Do the right thing for the right reasons, and then allow the outcome to be what it needs to be.”

“Before you act, think of the consequences and long term indirect effects.” Sometimes our actions or things we say do hurt people. When that happens, often it takes a long time, even years, for healing to take place. 

“Focus on the positive good that your desire.” You, like many, may be prone to focus on the negative of things. If you will discipline yourself to focus on the positive, you will be better prepared to handle the negatives when they “pop up.” 

“Know the kind of person that you really are.” Ask yourself, “Am I so self-centered that I don’t care who I hurt if it gets me what I want, is that the kind of person I have become?” “Practice loving and giving with a genuine heart. Keep growing in your personhood.” 

“A wise person will hear and increase learning, and a person of understanding will attain wise counsel.” (Proverbs 1:5)

“Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.” (David Starr Jordon)