Have you ever considered advice to be a dangerous gift? Tolkien thought so. We should always be careful to never give unguarded advice.

Perhaps you’re standing at a crossroad too. You’re unsure how to move forward. As a believer, you want to make a decision that is pleasing to God and will glorify him. You’ve tried searching for feelings of peace and listening for God’s voice, but you’re still confused. What if the decision process doesn’t have to be so mystical? What if a God-glorifying decision is plain and simple?

When we feel that fire inside of us, we need to tame it with a pause. As James wrote to the dispersed Christians, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19–20 ESV). How can we practice being slow to speak and quick to hear? By pausing, studying, and listening.

We all have stories. Some are meant to be shared to encourage and give voice to others’ stories. But some are not meant to be proclaimed on the internet. There is power in a picture and strength behind a story, but sometimes it’s more important to protect those I love, including myself. Here’s how we can discern the difference.

We often condemn fear, but is there perhaps a level of fear that’s good and God-given? Like the fear of animal attacks or our children running in the road. We’re told not to worry, not to fear, but to be bold and courageous. How do we reconcile these two? How do we know the difference between good fear and bad fear?