Daniel 6:16, "So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" Proverbs 19:20, "Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise."

Think

Have you ever hit "send" on an angry email or sent a text message using all caps and immediately regretted it? We're all guilty of letting our emotions get the best of us! This is exactly what King Darius did when his head swelled with pride at the thought of being worshipped for a 30-day praise-a-thon. As soon as his pride checked in, his logic checked out. And, he got a serious gut punch when he realized that his decision was going to turn Daniel into lion bait! What should Darius have done to avoid such extreme implications? He should have asked more questions and gotten all of the facts. He should have stopped to consider his motives and sought out wisdom from others. We are the sum total of our decisions. What we do today determines our tomorrow. Therefore, seeking wise counsel helps us to gain perspective by removing emotions from the equation. It allows us to slow down and carefully consider the implications. So when it comes to making decisions who are you listening to? Next time you're about to hit "send" when your emotions are running high, take a deep breath, pray, and seek good advice.

Act

The next time you are in the throes of the decision-making process, consider the following: • What does the Bible have to say about this decision? • Who can help me better understand what God's Word says about this decision? • Who can help me honestly assess my motives, both good and bad?

Pray

Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your peace that transcends all understanding. And thank You for placing people in my life willing to speak the truth in love, even when it's painful to hear. Today help me to slow down and think before I act. In Your name I pray, Amen.