Is This Action Wise?

by Doy Moyer

Answering the question, “Is an action right or wrong?” may tell us what to think, and there is a place for this. “Is the action wise?” However, it teaches us how to think, and this is something emphasized in Scripture.

Scripture, then, is not about some checklist of do’s and don’ts. It emphasizes the use of the mind to think things out and think things through.

Wisdom is the greater part of decision-making because it draws on principles and applies them to specific situations. The Hebrews writer points out that “solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). If we are stuck on seeking specific lists of dos and don’ts, we have some more growing to do.

Seeing the importance of wisdom in Scripture exposes the fallacious argument sometimes made by those justifying a practice that is not explicitly addressed. We hear, “But the Bible does not specifically condemn xyz.” Yet this is where wisdom plays a vital role. Does the Bible have to specifically condemn something for us to know whether it is good or evil? Or does Scripture provide us the principles needed to be able to discern and make wise choices?

There is much that Scripture does not specify, good or evil. How, then, are we to know which is which? This must be discerned, and discernment comes through understanding principles. Think, for example, of the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). This contains principles that cover a spectrum of specific actions. It is one thing to say that “lasciviousness” is wrong, but this term covers more than one action. Rather than specifying every single action, the principle covers it, and wisdom needs to be applied. Notice, also, that the “list” ends with the phrase, “and things like these.” That requires inference on our part, with wisdom, to know what “things like these” look like. It’s not a checklist after all; it’s a call to be wise and discerning.

I dare say that most of the decisions we make daily are based more on discerning from principle than simply looking up a checklist. One might say, though, that something may not be wise, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sin. What, then? Shall we justify the unwise decisions because they’re not on a specific list? Or shall we act the way the Lord calls us to act in wisdom? “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). “Get wisdom; get insight” (Proverbs 4:5).

Might we at times disagree on what is wise? Yes, and this should be carefully discussed and thought out. Yet we are also called to act based on conscience and to ensure that we do not place stumbling blocks in front of others. Freedom is not to be used as a cloak for mistreating others who do not share exact convictions.

Be careful, then, and be wise, for “The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom” (Proverbs 15:33).