How many times do we make emotional decisions and the regret them the next day. Typically reactive and out of frustration or whim, these type of decisions are the ones we look back on later and shake our heads and say, “What was I thinking? Oh wait… I didn’t.” A good decision is based on the “trifecta of wisdom” as I like to refer to it. St. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, 1:7 said that, “God has not give us a spirit of fear, but of power (will – determination – strength) love (emotion) and a sound mind (logic and reason).” So it would seem to make sense that a good decision needs some thought and research put into it. If I am at a car dealer looking to buy a new car, a bad decision would be made if I just caved to pressure of the salesman and “fell in love” with a sweet car and just bought it on impulse. No planning, no thought, just up and did it. People do this all the time. Then the first payment rolls around and they realize, “Oh my gosh, I am going to be paying $450 a month for the next 5 years. Why did I do this?!” I speak from experience on this matter.
When we are ruled by our heart, we are subject to the ebb and flow, the high and low that emotion brings. This is why we don’t exercise daily (ok, maybe that’s me). Because emotionally we don’t feel like getting up. St. Paul address this when he says that this [struggle] is not merely an emotion-based decision. “I beat my body into submission,” he says. That is both a power and mind struggle against the feels.
Living life just making rational decisions without ever feeling the pull of the heart is equally as out of balance. It also makes you a Vulcan. Often times, I will hear a message or watch a video about a charity or ministry and my heart will immediately engage and want to help. My mind is thinking to research them and make sure they are on the up and up, but my heart is the catalyst for the initial action. So the combo of a sound mind and a good heart is powerful. The will comes into play when I want to do it, and now I have to figure out a way to help. It might require me to work harder or pick up and extra design job. But the three together, working in balanced synchronicity (not the Police album), are indeed a powerful force.
I want to live in balance. I want to be one who makes wise decisions (read the book of Proverbs – it gives lots of wisdom instruction.) and doesn’t live in fear because I understand and use the trifecta of wisdom — power, love, sound mind.
It’s like every day, I get up and make the sign of the cross — Christ be in my head, in my heart, on my left hand and on my right. This is how I center myself. I fix my eyes on Christ, put on my armour, and try to walk out my life in a steady way. It is Christ who directs my path, and Christ who sustains me.
LOVE this!