Four needs for wisdom

There are 4 areas in our life where we need to use wisdom as it releases great power into our lives.

1. Time Management - We all get the same amount of time each day, that's quite a simple point, but why do some people achieve so much with their time and some achieve so little? Why are some people peacefully enjoying their journey whilst others are frantically running around tearing their hair out? Poor time management drains you completely and causes great stress and feeling this way it is pretty much impossible to lead a fulfilling life. The most important thing you need to do is to ensure that you get some time each day just for yourself, to do what you want, whatever that may be. You need to realise that you alone cannot help and heal the world. Make a new schedule allowing time for yourself, time to spend with family, time spent with God and your employment responsibilities. Being a workaholic is not healthy and will result in only negative things. A peaceful afternoon or full day spent away from work chilling out should not be a rare occurrence, it should be part of your regular schedule. If you are not happy with your time management - do something about it!

2. Finances - So many of us in modern society are at the point where we are terrified of money. The financial world has pressured us into debt, through both straight forward and also subliminal messaging. A huge percentage of us have got caught in the trap and are in serious situations now, facing bankruptcy and even divorce due to the financial pressures and stresses within the home. There are many steps that we can take to ensure that we can climb our way out of debt and never be in that position again. The Bible offers us financial advice in various scriptures. We need to use our wisdom to sort our financial state out. Be wise and make the decision to get out of debt as fast as you can. Believe that you can do it and you will. Stop buying items on credit that you don't have the pound notes to pay for it at that time. If you don't have enough pound notes then you cannot afford the item. Instead of credit, save up until you have enough money in the bank to pay for that item outright, then you owe nobody nothing. It is also a wise financial move to keep an emergency fund, you may not be able to keep a lot of money in it, but it is reassuring to know that if money is needed in an emergency that you have a sum hidden away somewhere and are not having to take from the grocery money or your child's piggy bank. A wise man once said, "Save some, spend some, give some". Very wise words and sums our ideal finances up perfectly. The Bible also says that "a good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children." This is encouraging us to prepare financially for the future. Get a pension, put money aside to pay for your funeral, open an account to pay for your children's university fees, deposit on their first house and so on, if that is in your means. Saving and getting out of debt doesn't happen overnight. There is a great deal of patience required, but if you can 'sit back' and wait you will soon begin to reap your harvest. With regard to tithing, tithing should always be the first 10% of your income. In Malachi 3 it says, "Do not rob God by withholding your tithes and offerings". But many do, research shows that most Christians do not tithe. You need to ensure that you tithe and if you have a little money spare then give that too. God will reward your tithing and the 90% you have left over will stretch much further through His name.

3. Adultery - "But a man who commits adultery lacks judgement; whoever does so destroys himself. Proverbs 6:32. By committing lustful adultery you are spoiling your own life, not just the lives of others, ie your wife or husband. Once you give in to adultery you will it harder to not do it again. The devil loves this. He sees you are tempted and encourages you to commit adultery. You do it and at that point the devil has pretty much got you hooked! You need to have a wakeup call and realise that you need to flee from temptation. Don't put yourself in tempting situations such as car sharing with an attractive girl or boy. Adultery isn't something we fall into. We walk straight into it, it is a sound mind decision. And if you are a woman of God you should be aware of what you are wearing and any flirtatious behaviours that you may have as they need eradicating immediately. God doesn't expect us to wear smocks, he wants us to look nice and be happy with the way we dress. He just wants us to be aware that we have a duty to dress in a modest way. Look in the mirror each time you get dressed and ask yourself, "Would God be happy with what I am wearing today?" "Am I representing God in a positive way by the clothes I have put on?" Don't make yourself a temptation to others. The Bible says that we ought to abstain from every appearance of evil.

4. Friends - The friendships that we keep are so powerful and important as they have such a huge impact on our lives. The personalities, belief systems and behaviours of our friends can easily rub off on us if we are weak. It is so important to surround yourself with the right sort of people, those who will provoke and encourage you to rise higher and to keep on walking with God. Just by being around the right sort of person can make us a better person as we observe, often without realising, how they treat and encourage people and how they deal with situations. By spending time with this person having an open and eager heart you can learn these qualities and make them an integral part of yourself. If you are choosing the wrong friends to hang out with then you would be better off staying at home, alone and lonely than mixing with the wrong crowd. Improve your life by choosing the right friendship group!