Guardrails for Life
How Godly Wisdom and Relationships Keep Us On Track
You know, I'm probably not alone when I say that a lot of my personal shopping and buying has moved from the analog in-store experience to online. And one of the things I do often when I'm buying things online is read reviews. I am an avid review reader. Before I spend any money online, I want to know what other people who have had experience with that product or service have to say about it. Most of the time, by reading the reviews and hearing what others say, it's saved me money or the hassle of buying something that I'd end up regretting.
Just like reading reviews can be a wise move before making a purchase, seeking wisdom and counsel from others can be a game-changer in life. We all need guardrails - those protective boundaries that keep us from veering off course and getting ourselves into trouble. And some of the best guardrails come in the form of godly wisdom from people who have walked the path before us.
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
—Psalm 13:20
King Solomon, considered the wisest man who ever lived, had a lot to say about wisdom and foolishness in the Bible. He wrote, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20). Just like bad reviews can warn us away from a faulty product, walking with foolish people can lead us down a harmful path. But when we intentionally seek out wise counsel, it's like having a five-star review to guide our decisions.
Having a Spiritual Mentor
I think about my own life and the people God has brought across my path to speak wisdom into my journey. Half my life ago, when I was 27, I met a man named Greg who became a spiritual mentor to me. Greg was just a few years ahead of me in life, but he had a wealth of godly wisdom that he poured into me during the two and a half years we lived near each other.
Allowing Greg to speak into my life on many issues, particularly as it related to my spiritual journey, helped me grow. It accelerated my maturity and gave me a good foundation for my faith in Jesus. Greg wasn’t necessarily my “best friend”. But he was a person that God brought into my life and, thank God, I allowed Greg to be a positive influence and role model for me.
That's just one example, but it illustrates how powerful it is to have people speaking into our lives. We need Gregs. We need those relationships with people a few steps ahead of us who can help us see our blind spots, challenge our thinking, and point us to God's truth. Their wisdom acts as a guardrail, keeping us from veering into foolish decisions and costly mistakes.
But here's the thing - we can't just passively hope a Greg shows up in our lives. We have to seek out those relationships. We have to ask God to bring us people who can fill that mentoring role, and then intentionally pursue connection with them. It takes humility to ask for advice, to admit we don't have it all figured out. But it's so worth it.
Wisdom From God’s Word
"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding" - Proverbs 2:6
God's wisdom is freely available to us through His Word, the Bible. That's why Solomon said, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we walk in obedience to God's commands and principles, it's like having the ultimate guardrail keeping us on the right path
But it's not just about reading the Bible and mentally ascribing to its truths. Walking in God's wisdom means having an ongoing, intimate relationship with Him. It's about communicating with Him daily through prayer, listening for His voice, and obeying what He tells us to do. The closer we are to God, the clearer His guidance becomes.
The most important counsel that we can ever take is what we get from God. The relationship that we have with him, and the counsel that he's given to us through the Bible...While it is important for us to have relationships with other people, the most important relationship every day ought to be the one that we have with God. We need to know that we're right with Him, and we need to be walking every day with Him.
That's the heart of it right there. Yes, we absolutely need people in our lives who can offer godly wisdom and act as guardrails for us. Those relationships are so valuable, and we should pursue them. But at the end of the day, our most vital relationship is with the Lord. He is the ultimate source of wisdom, and walking closely with Him is the surest way to stay on track.
So let's be intentional about surrounding ourselves with wise counsel, heeding their advice, and learning from their experiences. Let's humble ourselves enough to seek out those mentoring relationships and really listen to the input we receive. And most of all, let's cultivate that intimate walk with God, seeking His wisdom above all else and obeying what He tells us to do. With God's wisdom and godly guardrails in place, we can navigate life's twists and turns with confidence, knowing we're on the right path.
Read more about how you can cultivate good, healthy relationships for your life.