Who Knows Best?

When we need stable, secure, and reliable direction for our lives, there is a source to whom we can turn. James chapter 1 provides these words of inspiration:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

We have to guard against treating our Heavenly Father as our "consultant," someone we turn to when we can't figure it out ourselves, whom we consult when we get into a pitch or need some sort of idea boost. Jesus invites us to abide in Him, allowing His words to abide in us, according to John 15. We are offered the opportunity to communicate with God and to exercise godly wisdom and discretion.  We should not wait until things fall apart to go to the one who holds all things together, according to Hebrews chapter 1. 

+++++

We have access to the wisdom of God, which is based on His Word - He provides wisdom, according to James chapter 1, as we ask for it. So, why don't we ask? After all, as Proverbs 14 states:
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.

Apparently, the Chrisleys did not know best, and they ended up in prison.  Perhaps you're familiar with the cable series, Chrisley Knows Best, a reality show featuring Todd and Julie Chrisley, who are serving a prison sentence having been convicted of fraud. 

But, their daughter is apparently relying on her Christian faith to sustain her during this challenging chapter of her life.  A People Magazine article from last year says:

Savannah Chrisley's faith remains of the utmost importance amid this tough time for her family.

As her parents serve time for fraud charges, the Chrisley Knows Best star shared a hopeful Bible verse on Instagram about relying on God's timing. The quote was handwritten over a memo card taped to her refrigerator, reading "Team Chrisley" along the top.

One of the verses Savannah wrote out by hand was Isaiah 60:22: "When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen. Rest, God is in control."

In the Instagram caption, she wrote, "I find my hope in Jesus ❤️...Have never felt the presence of Jesus as much as I have today … can't wait to tell the stories..."

The article says, "Savannah also shared another look at her refrigerator on her Instagram Story, revealing several more Bible verses she has written on 'Team Chrisley' memo cards to help her get through these tough times for her family."

A recent Movieguide article referred to the depression that Savannah has struggled with throughout a significant part of our life, and how she has turned to God.  The article says:

During her struggle with depression, she turned to God after receiving a devotional.

“And the devotional was Romans 8:28, and it stated that through whatever hardships and adversities you go through, God’s gonna turn around and use it to your advantage, and it was literally like, in a snap of a finger, I went from this anger towards God, to in my heart saying, ‘All right, God, you know what, why not me?’ Like, what makes me any better to have to go through these things than anyone else?” she said, per ET.

Today, Chrisley is taking care of her brother Grayson, 17, and niece Chloe, 11, as her parents serve time in prison for tax fraud. Becoming their guardian has made her rethink her views of parenthood.

“I always used to say I will have however many kids God will allow. That was my viewpoint,” she explained. “I don’t know, I think when you’re young, you think kids are easy, right? No. After having Chloe and Grayson, if anything, it slowed my timeline down on things. But I always said God meant for me to be a mom. If I don’t do anything right with my life, that’s going to be the one thing that I do right.”

Life isn't always neat and tidy, and things don't always go the way we think they should. The unexpected will come, but we also recognize that there is someone who sustains us through the unexpected, the surprises of life that adversely affect our equilibrium. These are tests that can cause us to turn to Jesus so that He can work His process of spiritual growth in our lives - for His glory. 

It's ironic that the series was called, Chrisley Knows Best - obviously, the court system did not see things the same way. And, I think it can call to mind how we may think that we "know best" in handling the circumstances we face. We can find ourselves relying on our own wisdom, until we come to the realization that God knows much better than we do, and that we should pray and appropriate His wisdom for our lives. That's what Savannah Chrisley just might be learning, and that can be an encouragement for many.