Measuring wisdom

I'm not the best decision maker. I mean, I often do make good decisions, but the process of arriving at a final "I will do this" is some times maddening. The smaller things, "What should I wear?", "Where should we go to eat?", "Should I tackle this assignment or work on this?" aren't that important or life changing (at least as far as I know!) and even though I can waver back and forth over that kind of minutia for way too long, it's the heavier decisions that impact other people I struggle most with ("Should we discharge this kid (student!) from the program?", "Should I confront this staff about ___", "Should I stay in my current position of apply for something else?").

Today in my quiet time I was reading through James 3, a passage I pretty much memorized...but a little nugget jumped out at me. In regards to wisdom, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. " Maybe it's because I barely ate yesterday and the "full" and "good fruit" caught my attention (HA!) But it caused me to wonder...when I am pondering a decision and ask God to give me wisdom, is my final "I will do this" full of mercy and good fruit?

"Full" here in the Greek means "Replete" or "Fully or abundantly provided". "Mercy" used here in the Greek means "Compassion". The fruit I believe refers to the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). That's a long list of things to measure your decisions against!

But why not, right? If we are asking God to give us insight and wisdom in what to do (and I do this on a regular basis), shouldn't we not act on a final "I will do this" unless we can say with sincerity that the decision is merciful? Loving? Kind? Peaceful?

I remember when I was running the crisis center for a couple of years and struggled A LOT with this. I was talking w/ my boss about it and we were working on a plan of "How Jen Can Make Better Decisions"...We imparted some worldly 7 step plan but then I went away unsettled and returned to him with James 3:17 and told him THAT was the way I would measure my decisions. He actually put it in writing in my annual performance appraisal.

Not that I have this down pat...but I'm considering a visual reminder for me (and my staff) to hang in my office to refer to...perhaps a ruler with James 3:17 on it AND the fruit of the spirit. It can't hurt...and honestly, if folks know that the decisions I make are being measured by the HIGHEST standard, perhaps they (and I!) will trust them more...