Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

The Limits of Human Wisdom and Understanding

The Limits of Human Wisdom and Understanding
The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. — Ecclesiastes 1:18 
Have you ever been overwhelmed by the weight of knowledge? Maybe you've learned something about the brokenness of the world or carried the burden of understanding someone else's pain. Solomon knew this feeling well. He writes in Ecclesiastes 1:18, "The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief." Yes, the wisest man to ever live recognized that even wisdom, pursued apart from God, can bring sorrow.
Why? Because human wisdom, while valuable, is limited. You and I can never fully comprehend God's purposes or the scope of eternity. Paul reaffirms as much in 1 Corinthians 3:19 when he writes, "The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God." This is to say, what we often see as brilliance, God sees as shallow, flawed, or incomplete.
But there is hope! God offers wisdom to us that goes well beyond our human understanding. James 1:5 encourages, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you." True wisdom begins with humility — acknowledging our limitations and turning to God for guidance. This kind of wisdom doesn't lead to grief or sorrow but peace and clarity rooted in His eternal perspective.
When we embrace the truth that God's wisdom far exceeds our own, we can let go of the pressure to figure everything out. Instead of relying on our intellect, we can trust in His infinite understanding, knowing He'll guide us every step of the way.
True wisdom begins when we trust God's infinite understanding over our own.

The Futility of Earthly Pursuits

The Futility of Earthly Pursuits
"Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!" — Ecclesiastes 1:2 
Have you ever worked tirelessly to achieve something, only to find the excitement didn't last? Maybe it was a career milestone, a personal goal, or a big purchase. At first, it felt like the ultimate fulfillment. But before long, you were left wondering, Is this really all there is?
Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, understood this feeling. He experienced wealth, power, and success beyond imagination. Yet, despite his many accomplishments, he declares, "Everything is meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
What's Solomon's point? He's not saying life has no value. Rather, he's saying life without God has no lasting value. Jesus reinforces this truth in Matthew 16:26, asking, "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"
Earthly pursuits — riches, fame, material comfort, etc. — may offer temporary satisfaction, but they can never fulfill your soul's deepest needs. Instead, Jesus invites you to seek what endures. "Don't be so concerned about perishable things like food," He declares. "Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you" (John 6:27).
What are you chasing? Are your goals centered on the eternal purposes of God or on things that fade? Jesus offers something far greater than what the world provides: a life of meaning, purpose, and satisfaction rooted in Him. When your focus shifts to God's Kingdom, you begin to see your work, relationships, and aspirations through an eternal lens. Life becomes not just about achieving but about glorifying God.
Pursue what lasts because only what's eternal can truly satisfy.

Speak For Yourself

If we make a daily practice of the first four daily habits, after a while, others will ask us why we are doing what we are doing. We need to be able to answer in the first person.
Why Are You Doing This?
When you go beyond your job description and serve others, they will be curious. In their mind, they will try to understand your actions through worldly motives like “he’s just trying to get ahead.” But when your service springs from love for Jesus, they won’t have a logical explanation to connect your actions to your motives. Eventually, some will ask, “Why are you doing this?”
Answer With Conviction
In 1 Peter 3:15, the first part of the phrase says to sanctify Jesus as Lord in your hearts. When we sanctify Christ as Lord, we set him apart as Lord. We know why we trust him as Lord. Once we convince ourselves, then we’re ready to make a defense to everyone who asks.
Prepare Your Answer
During day three, we talked about preparing a brief answer that points to Jesus using your own words. Some people may ask us why we’re being so nice or why we remembered to send an email. If we answer with “I just felt like it” or “God told me to,” people won’t understand our true motivation. They’ll think we’re strange and drop the subject.
Intentionally answer in a different way. Remember your one-minute answer from day three. It should sound something like, “I wanted to do something for you because Jesus changed me. I want my faith in Jesus to matter every day.” Initially, an answer like this might feel or sound awkward to you. But the more you practice, the more natural, accurate, and honest it will become. Your friend’s mind will have to stretch to process and think about your answer.Don’t let this exercise put words in your mouth. Ask God to give you a humble answer that glorifies him. Give your reason in the first person. Avoid giving instructions or making a specific ask. Simply state your reason. That’s what we mean when we suggest you speak for yourself.
Keep your answer brief, but also keep the focus on Jesus. And if they want more information, they’re free to ask for it. If they ask more, answer more, as naturally as possible.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
As an exercise, put yourself in their shoes. Pray and then ask yourself the "why" question. Speak your answer out loud. Ask another Christ-follower to give you feedback. Write your answer down. Does it sound reasonable to you? Ask yourself, “but why?” a second time.
Repeat this practice until you’re comfortable with your answer. Imagine how to reasonably explain your actions to someone who thinks Jesus is no more real than Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. The more you practice answering the “why” question, the more natural and confident you’ll feel when you have these conversations.
They Will Ask
Did you notice something else? Peter says they will ask. Unless you feel a leading from God, you need not volunteer anything. Quietly and humbly serve. If no one ever asks, we know Jesus is still in charge, and we will receive a reward for doing what he told us to do. We don’t have to twist or manipulate any conversation. Let’s give our lives away because we know Jesus is Lord. When we give our lives away, people will ask.Take some time and practice your answer. Use “I” and “me” statements. Be certain. Resist the temptation to tell someone else how to get to heaven. Explain the hope you have in you because you know Jesus. God will give you the words, and you will bless others if you can wait until someone asks. And then, speak for yourself.

Serve Others

Serve Others
The fourth daily habit is to serve others. This may be the most difficult activity. After all, the Greek word most often translated to mean ‘servant’ is also translated to mean ‘minister.’ Therefore, we need to rewire our brains so we can remember that leading others is really the same as serving others.
Concentrate on Serving Others
As we go through our day, it is easy to focus on our own tasks and to-dos. But often, we only see what’s right in front of us. For a change of pace, concentrate on serving others today. To begin serving others, let’s ask God to show us what he wants us to do.
As we do our jobs or take our classes, we want to meet or exceed the expectations of others. Our idea of success should be based on how well we serve others.Jesus defines success in this way. He asks us to sacrifice our lives to him (Romans 12:1–2) and take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23–24). He tells us that if we want to be first, we must be a slave of all (Mark 10:44). How can we change our perspective and become a slave to all by better-serving others? How can we put ourselves in a position to be a representative of Jesus in our workplaces?In Matthew 14, the disciples ask Jesus what they should do about the 5,000 hungry people that they are unable to feed. Jesus tells them to give them something to eat (Matthew 14:16b). They must have thought he was crazy! They probably couldn’t imagine how they would feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish.
Jesus gives them a challenge that also applies to us in our workplaces: We can serve others by serving food or laying down our rights so that others can succeed. Even when we think we have nothing, we can give others something if we get that “something” from Jesus!
Ideas for Action
Think about who you miss right now. Reach out to them and tell them, but also think of new people, too. Send a few more emails or text messages throughout the day. Tell those you haven’t seen recently that you are thinking of them, you’re praying for them, and you miss them. Ask a couple of questions about their life to show you are interested in learning more.
For these people who God brings to your mind, figure out a way to get to know them better. You never know: They could end up being your friends forever. God loves them. So, rather than judge people, ask God to guide you as you learn more and look for ways to serve and enjoy others.

Know What You Believe

Can you explain why you follow Jesus in non-churchy terms? When I ask others why they follow Jesus, I often get answers like “because he loves me.” While that answer is true, it doesn’t explain things very well to people who don’t follow Jesus.In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus has an encounter with a man filled with an army of demons. Jesus heals the man, but a herd of pigs die in the process. The people of the region don’t want Jesus to stick around, so they ask him to leave. As he is leaving, the man who was freed of the demons asks Jesus if he can go along. Jesus answers, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (v. 19)Why didn’t Jesus let the man come with him? I think Jesus told the man to stay there because only that man could reach those people. The same applies to the people you interact with each day in your work. Most of your customers and coworkers wouldn’t be very interested in what your pastor has to say. If they did, they’d probably attend your church.
Jesus saved you and sent you right back to your workplace. He sent me back, too, even though I begged him to put me ‘in ministry.’ I later realized we are all called to full-time ministry; however, only a few of us need to leave our jobs and go work for a church. Because many of us will not go into ministry full-time, that means we will encounter many unbelievers. We need to know what we believe when we do.
Prepare to Answer
As you pray for, appreciate, and serve others, they may have questions about what you’re doing. If you work late to help someone or use your own personal time or money to make a difference for someone else, they will be curious. Maybe they will ask you why you went out of your way to help them. How will you answer?In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter tells us to respond with gentleness and respect. To me, the best way to answer with gentleness and respect is to answer in the 1st person. Pretend that someone has asked you why you are a Christ-follower. Give your answer using “I” or “me” statements. That way, when you actually receive this question, others will know that what you believe is personal to you.
Make it Quick
Remember that most people are in a hurry. They don’t want to listen to you explain your "why" forever. And many won’t trust the Bible either. So, try to boil your answer down to one minute. Doing so will show the other person you’ve thought about it and can provide a meaningful but concise answer that doesn’t make demands on their time. Then allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest of the work.
Practice, Practice, Practice
The more you think about and rehearse your one-minute answer, the better prepared you will be when someone asks. Even consider asking a friend who is also a believer to join you in this exercise. The more versed you are, the more comfortable you will be when answering. God will use you as you practice. Wait for him to bring people who are curious.