What can wisdom do for you?

Nothing seems more frustrating than making the same mistake over and over again. Whether it’s in a relationship, in your personal life, or your career, repeating the same mistakes over and over can cost us big time in lost love, resources (time and money), and opportunities. Read more on why wisdom can help you move past your mistakes.

I have failed in several areas of my personal life and with relationships for me, Terry. Hidden sin and laziness are the two issues that derailed me. Until I learned the hard lessons, I acquired the wisdom necessary to get past the problems, and I continued to fail repeatedly.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Do you see a pattern in your life where you are repeating the same mistakes repeatedly?
• Is there a negative relationship trait that you need to take responsibility for?
• Do you have a negative work ethic you need to flip and own?
• Is there a hidden sin holding you back, and no matter how much you try to stop it, you keep going back, time and again?

Why We Need Wisdom:

Like it or not, God created us as incomplete beings. No one is truly self-sufficient. We need to identify our weaknesses and limits and then GO OUT THERE and acquire the wisdom and resources to reach our goals and build healthy relationships.

What’s more, we typically fear the things we need the most in life. Most people, me included, don’t like to ask for help – it looks like we are weak. And the truth is, we are, we are inadequate and incomplete. We need outside wisdom and resources.

How To Gain Wisdom:

Terry with John Townsend. Terry completed his Master’s degree in Executive Coaching from Concordia University.

Start With God – God is the author of wisdom. When we have difficulties or challenging issues to resolve, the first step is to get on our knees and ask God for help and wisdom to fix the problem. Consider the truth from the biblical book of James:

James 1:2-5 – Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Six months after launching my coaching practice, I was scared that I wouldn’t “make it.” I remember getting on my knees in my office and praying a simple prayer, “God, what don’t I know that I need to know?” Later that night, my wife Jen showed me an email from Dr. John Townsend and his Master’s Program for Executive Coaching. God was making a way for me to gain wisdom – It started with me asking Him for help.

Advice to Gain Wisdom:

Listen to Friends:

I shared the necessity for spiritually healthy friends in my last post. If you have spiritually healthy friends, we can use them as a resource for wisdom. A few years ago, I had a tough business decision to make. I was about to pull the trigger and go forward with my plan, but I went to a friend (who runs a very profitable business) and asked him about my plans. He said, “DON’T DO IT, YOU’RE SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE FOOT!” I couldn’t see what he could see because he had already been “there.” I listened to his advice and chose a different path – that worked. His advice saved me time and money.

Find an Expert:

In my coaching practice, I refer my clients to other experts when I’m not qualified or understand their situation. It might be a Pastor, other Coach, Lawyer, Counselor, Doctor, Nutritionalist, specific Support Group, etc. The Bible tells us that one of the best things we can do is gain or acquire wisdom (sometimes we have to pay for it).

Proverbs 4:5-7 – Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

Collect Resources

• Books
• Podcasts
• Seminars
• College Courses
• TEDtalks, etc.

Learn From Your Past – Finally, we need to learn from our past if we don’t want to repeat our failures. I like to journal regularly to process my thoughts and figure out why I failed at a particular issue. I can then create guidelines for myself to not repeat the same mistake.

Questions

• What issues do you need to solve in your life that keep coming back again?
• What type of wisdom do you need to gain and why?
• Who will you reach out to this week to help you solve your problem?

Notes:

Cloud, Henry & Townsend, John (2002). God will make a way. Thomas Nelson Publishing, Nashville.

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