Latest / The Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast / Wisdom for the Next Chapter | Discernment When the Way Forward Isn’t Obvious

Transcript

Wisdom for the Next Chapter | Discernment When the Way Forward Isn’t Obvious · The Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: As you and I come to the end of this short mini-series on wholehearted rhythms, I want to talk with you about wisdom.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Not the kind of wisdom that gives you instant clarity, and not the type that hands you a polished five-year plan.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: But today I want to talk about the kind of wisdom that helps you take the next wholehearted step when you're still in the middle of the story or when the way forward isn't quite obvious yet.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm guessing that you aren't asking the question, what should I do with my whole life?
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: You're simply asking, how do I move forward from here?
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Wholehearted Enneagram Podcast, the Enneagram for Real Life.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Here is where you'll find conversations where faith meets story and strategy for lasting transformation.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Amy Wicks, here to help you find wisdom and wholehearted rhythms for moments that matter most.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're learning your type or deepening your spiritual formation, these conversations will remind you that the Enneagram shines a light, but Christ is the transformation.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, one of my favorite books in the New Testament that I've already quoted from a few times in this mini-series, James, meets women so honestly, especially when it comes to this journey to wisdom.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: In James 1, 4 through 6, it tells us to let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: And if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, James isn't promising that you and I will be handed a magic wand of clarity, but he is inviting us into a rhythm and a process of discernment, learning how to take the next step when the way forward isn't clear.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: James also doesn't say that wisdom comes before perseverance.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: He says it comes through it.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, wisdom isn't rushed, and it is fruit from a spiritually formed life.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: So when you reach a place where you don't know what to do next, remember Scripture doesn't shame you for that.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, Scripture is inviting you to ask.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: It seems often our culture tends to think of wisdom as a destination, something you arrive at once you've figured things out.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: But wisdom is actually a rhythm, a rhythm of asking, listening, remembering, discerning, and even receiving guidance over time.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Wisdom isn't something that you'll possess overnight.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's something that you practice along obedience in the same direction.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the most important ways you can practice wisdom is by recognizing what you were never meant to discern alone.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: There have been so many seasons in my life where I genuinely did not know what the next right step was.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Not because I wasn't praying or getting in the word or paying attention or writing it down, but because I was in the middle of the story.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: And what I've learned, sometimes the hard way, is that wisdom often comes through other people.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: People like guides, mentors, spiritual directors, wise friends who can see what you can't see yet.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: There have been so many moments and are still many moments that I've brought a question to someone else and simply said, I don't need you to fix this, but I need you to help me see another side or perspective of my story.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: And almost every time wisdom didn't arrive as an answer, it often was guised as a better question, or a 300-foot perspective, or just kind reminders to take my time to figure out the next right step.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that's often how God works.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this is where wisdom connects to everything we've discussed so far in this series.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: The word of God reminds you the truth of who God is and whose you are.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Worship anchors you in the goodness of God's promises and reminds you to declare it over your life.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: And the rhythm of writing helps you listen and notice.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Then wisdom helps you interpret all that you've been given.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: So when you look back at your story over time through gratitude, lament, prayer, and reflection, you begin to see the patterns, or the patterns begin to emerge.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: You'll begin to see where God has been faithful, what keeps repeating, what no longer fits, and where you're being invited to grow.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: I promise, friend, wisdom will grow when you let your story speak, not just your emotions in the moment.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Eugene Peterson, the brilliant author of the message, reminds us that God is not in a hurry.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it's important to consider that wisdom often forms when you finally slowed down enough to notice what God is already doing.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Wisdom remembers how limited your perspective really is.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: And discernment grows when you stop demanding clarity and start paying attention over time.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I want you to hear clearly today.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: Wisdom is something you seek.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: You seek it from God through prayer and scripture.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: You seek it from your story by paying attention over time, and you seek it from others by inviting guidance and perspective.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: James reminds you and me that God loves to give wisdom generously, without shame, without scolding.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: But wisdom often comes through layers of scripture, memory, and community.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: And this is also why story work matters, the wholehearted story work I've referred to and what we're going to continue to unpack this year, because it invites you to see your story with clarity so you can begin a new chapter with courage and hope, or even just begin a new page.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Wisdom will help you recognize when a chapter is shifting, when it's time to end, and when it's time to begin, even if you're not sure what the next one's going to hold.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: I know you want certainty to move forward, but all you likely need is a little bit of discernment.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that I've witnessed and seen over the years is that wisdom deepens when it's shared.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that looks like sharing it with a guide or getting shared wisdom from a guide.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's being involved in a small group, leading one, or being a part of one.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes it's found in the blessing of community that knows how to listen well and doesn't rush you towards answers.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, in the show notes, I have shared a few ways that you could step into that kind of support.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it's a 30-minute clarity call with me, the wholehearted abundance video and journal, or even the wholehearted Enneagram quiz with lots of helpful resources.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: So as you finish this mini-series to begin the year, I want to offer you a very simple wisdom practice.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself these three questions.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: First, what am I learning about God right now?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Second, what am I learning about myself?
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Third, who might help me see both God and myself with greater clarity in this season?
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then ask the Lord, honestly, for wisdom for the next chapter, not the whole story.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: My friend, you don't need to know how everything will turn out.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need clarity for the entire year.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: You just need wisdom for the next step.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: And God is already at work in your questions, in your story, and through the people He places along your path.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: May you notice the wisdom being formed right here in the middle of your wholehearted story.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: You can also visit simply wholehearted.com to take the free Enneagram quiz and also get your personalized podcast playlists specific for your Enneagram type.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, friend, your starting point doesn't have to be your stuff point.