Persuasion

In reading Jane Austen's Persuasion, I can't help but ask myself if there are people in my life who I let persuade me into doing things that don't seem right or necessary to me. I am well aware that there is great wisdom in seeking the advice of others, but those of us who have the Holy Spirit living in us must seek His wisdom first and foremost. We do that by praying earnestly and asking for wisdom (James 1:5), and by searching the Scriptures, esp. Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom. It is an old saying, but a good one, that when it comes to making good decisions, we should always "go to the Throne before we go to the phone."

In order to know my own heart, I always find it helpful to ask myself who in my life I let persuade me into doing or saying things that I just don't feel right about, and if I try to persuade other people into doing things my way, and after I've made a decision, I review the thinking that led to that decision. Was my decision based on the wisdom of God or the wisdom of well-meaning advisers who don't really know my heart and don't know all the details and implications for the future?