Dear Friends,

The New Year invites us not only to adjust our habits, but to examine the deeper motivations from which our lives grow. In counseling, we often see how lasting change rarely begins with willpower alone. Many times, it begins with reflecting on wisdom. Wisdom is the use of moral insight to guide our decisions. Moral insight is developed through obedience to truth. As we obey the truth of scripture, we develop an understanding of what wise decisions practically look like in our relationships. Wisdom brings order to our realities. It moves situations from being blurry to being clear. The actions of wisdom are loving and produce peace over time.

Our natural selves are not guided by wisdom, but by what is comfortable. So, we often expect life to run on our terms, overlook what may lead to danger, or are surprised by difficult outcomes. Wisdom calls us to humbly and courageously face life in a broken world which often requires doing things that are uncomfortable and difficult.

Biblical wisdom is relational before it is practical. It is a gift we receive through a close walk with God who meets us in our circumstances with both truth and grace. Wisdom brings together reason, emotion, and a rightly ordered heart, guarding us from the extremes of distressed emotions or cold rationality. In faith-integrated counseling, we see wisdom grow as people courageously reflect, seek counsel, and learn to trust God in the midst of complexity. This year, we encourage you to seek wisdom not as a technique to master, but as a treasure to be found, believing that God delights to give clarity, humility, and hope to those who seek him with their whole heart.

Sincerely,

The Willow Springs Team