Walking the Wise Path

Claire Black: Welcome to True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. I’m Claire Black. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time. Buckle up! You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus.

Song:

I am a true girl.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
I am, I am, I am a true girl!

Every single day, you make choices:

• What to say.
• Who to spend time with.
• What to watch.
• Whether to tell the truth.
• Whether to be kind.
• Whether to obey.

Those choices might seem small, but small choices lead you down a path, and the path you choose shows where you will probably end up.

If you’re walking in the dark, what do you need in order to go the right way? A light! And the Bible says that God’s Word is a light for your path. That means God doesn’t just tell us what to believe—He shows us how to live and which way to go.

So today, Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel are on a trail in the woods, and they’re trying to figure out which way to go. Now, I’m not sure the Bible will help them with that trail, but their situation is a good picture of what the Bible does help with.

This episode of the True Girl podcast is called “Walking the Wise Path.” Let’s listen.

Suzy Weibel: This is a really nice trail.

Dannah Gresh: It is. I like trails that are wide and easy to follow.

Suzy: Yes, this trail feels very friendly.

Dannah: A friendly trail?

Suzy: Yes. Some trails feel friendly, and some trails feel like they are trying to trick you.

Dannah: I have never thought of trails that way before.

Suzy: You know what I mean. Some trails are nice and clear and you feel very confident. And other trails are tiny and twisty and suddenly disappear and you start wondering if you are still on the trail or just walking through the woods.

And also, have you ever hiked Mt. Nittany? Everyone’s all like, “The view! It’s beautiful!” But that is a straight climb up, rocks the whole way. Talk about stair climbing!

Dannah: That is very true. But, um, Suzy, about Mt. Nittany . . .

Suzy: Also, I feel like hiking makes me notice things I normally wouldn’t notice.

Dannah: Oh, like what?

Suzy: Like how many sticks are on the ground . . . and how many times I step on the loudest stick possible.

(Loud stick snap)

Suzy: There’s another one.

Dannah: You do seem to find all the loud sticks.

Suzy: If there is a loud stick within ten feet, I will find it.

Dannah: You would not be a very good owl.

Suzy: No, I would be the loudest owl in the forest.

Dannah: You would scare away all the mice.

Suzy: Yes, I would be a very hungry owl.

Dannah: (laughter)

Suzy: But I do like being out here. It’s quiet, and it feels like you can think better out here.

Dannah: I agree. Walking in the woods is a good place to think and talk and slow down.

Suzy: Speaking of slowing down, do we know where we are?

Dannah: Of course we do! We are on a trail in the woods.

Suzy: Yes, I know that. But do we know where this trail goes?

Dannah: Well . . . not exactly.

Suzy: So, we are on a trail, in the woods, and we are not exactly sure where it goes.

Dannah: That is correct.

Suzy: I’m just trying to clarify that we are not lost. We are just . . . directionally unsure.

Dannah: Directionally unsure sounds much better than lost.

Suzy: I prefer directionally unsure.

Dannah: Well, let’s see if we can find a trail marker or a sign.

Suzy: This feels like one of those moments where we probably should have paid more attention earlier.

Dannah: We were probably talking and walking and not really paying attention to where the trail was going.

Suzy: That actually sounds a lot like life. Sometimes people don’t pay attention to the direction they’re going until they realize they’re somewhere they didn’t mean to be.

Dannah: So you don’t usually end up somewhere by accident. You end up there because of the path you were walking. 

Suzy: Walking in wisdom helps us know which path is the right one.

Dannah: You know, most people don’t wake up one day and decide, “I’m going to make a bunch of bad decisions and mess up my life.” That’s not usually how it happens.

Suzy: Yeah, people don’t usually plan to end up in a bad place.

Dannah: Right. Usually what happens is much smaller than that. It’s little choices. Little steps. One decision at a time. And before they realize it, they’re far down a path they never meant to be on.

Suzy: Kind of like how we didn’t plan to be lost today… but we just kept walking and talking and not paying attention to where the trail was going.

Dannah: Exactly. We didn’t get lost in one giant leap. We got here one step at a time.

Suzy: That’s actually a really good picture of life.

Dannah: It really is. Life is a lot like walking on a trail. Every day we’re taking steps, and every step is a choice.

Sometimes the choices feel really small—like choosing whether to tell the truth or tell a lie. Choosing whether to be kind or say something mean. Choosing whether to obey your parents or argue. Choosing whether to include someone or ignore them.

Those choices might feel small in the moment, but they are steps on a path. And after a while, those steps become a direction, and that direction becomes where your life is headed.

Suzy: So you don’t end up somewhere by accident. You end up there because of the path you were walking.

Dannah: That’s exactly right.

The Bible talks about this idea a lot—paths, walking, direction. Two of my favorite verses is Proverbs 3:5–6. It says:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

I love that verse because it says God will show us which path to take. That means we don’t have to figure everything out on our own.

Suzy: That’s good, because I clearly cannot even figure out which trail to take on this hike.

Dannah: (laughter) And in life, it’s even more important than a hiking trail. Because the paths we choose in life determine the kind of person we become and where our life ends up going.

Suzy: Trusting God is kind of like following the trail markers instead of just wandering wherever we feel like going.

Dannah: That’s a really good way to say it. God doesn’t leave us wandering around guessing. He gives us His Word, and His Word is like a trail marker that shows us where to go.

When the Bible tells us to tell the truth, that’s a trail marker.

When the Bible tells us to be kind, that’s a trail marker.

When the Bible tells us to obey our parents, that’s a trail marker.

When the Bible tells us to choose good friends and use wise words, that’s a trail marker.

Every time we follow what God says, we’re staying on the wise path.

Suzy: And every time we ignore what God says, it’s kind of like stepping off the trail.

Dannah: Exactly. And sometimes stepping off the trail might not seem like a big deal at first. You might think, It’s just one step. It’s just one bad choice. It’s just one lie. It’s just one mean comment. It’s just one time disobeying.

But one step off the trail leads to another step, and another step, and after a while you realize you’re not on the trail anymore at all.

Suzy: And then you’re directionally unsure.

Dannah: Exactly. Directionally unsure. (laughter)

But the good news is that when we trust God and follow His Word, He keeps us on the right path. He guides us. He helps us. He shows us which way to go.

Suzy: And that’s really what walking in wisdom is. Walking in wisdom means choosing God’s way, step by step, every day.

Dannah: Yes. A wise life is not built in one big moment. A wise life is built one small decision at a time.

And those small decisions — telling the truth, being kind, choosing good friends, using wise words, obeying your parents, spending time with God — those decisions keep you walking on the wise path.

Suzy: And the wise path leads to a good place, a life that honors God, helps people, and brings joy and peace. That’s the kind of path we want to walk.

Dannah: You know, this whole idea about paths and direction actually reminds me of a movie.

Suzy: Oh boy, here we go. Which movie are we talking about?

Dannah: The Lion King.

Suzy: Oh, that’s a good one.

Dannah: Remember how Simba runs away after his dad dies, and he starts living with Timon and Pumbaa and kind of forgets who he is and what he’s supposed to do?

Suzy: Yeah, he basically chose the easy path where he didn’t have to deal with anything hard.

Dannah: Exactly. He was walking on the wrong path for a while. He wasn’t becoming the leader he was supposed to be. He was just kind of eating grubs and avoiding responsibility.

Suzy: But then he realizes he needs to go back and do the right thing, even though it was hard and scary.

Dannah: And that’s the moment where he chooses the right path instead of the easy path.

Suzy: So, sometimes wisdom means choosing the hard right path instead of the easy wrong path.

Dannah: That’s exactly right. The wise path is not always the easiest path, but it always leads to the right place.

Suzy: That might be the hardest part about choosing the right path. The wrong path often looks easier at first.

Dannah: That’s very true. The easy path is usually the one where you do whatever you want, say whatever you want, follow the crowd, and don’t really think about what God says.

Suzy: Yeah, the easy path is like, “Everyone else is doing it, so I will too.”

Dannah: But the wise path is different. The wise path sometimes means: telling the truth when it would be easier to lie, using kind words when you’re mad, or obeying your parents when you don’t want to.

Suzy: While the easy path might feel fun or exciting for a little while, it often leads to trouble, hurt feelings, broken friendships, and regret.

But the wise path—the path where you follow God and do what is right—that path leads to peace and joy and a life that honors God

Dannah: That’s part of walking in wisdom, we slow down enough to remember that what we think is the most fun, or important, or best is never going to compare to what God’s best is for us. 

Suzy: So when you’re trying to decide what to do, maybe a good question to ask is, “Is this the easy path, or is this the wise path?”

Dannah: Exactly. A wise life doesn’t happen because of one big step. A wise life is built on a bunch of little steps—one friend, one sentence, and one decision at a time. 

Suzy: And if you want to walk the wise path, you follow God, you listen to His Word, you choose wise friends, you use wise words, and you make wise choices step by step.

Dannah: That’s what it means to walk in wisdom.

Suzy: Okay, I’m not saying we are officially lost. But I am starting to feel like we have been walking for a very long time.

Dannah: We have been walking for a while.

Suzy: And I have not seen a trail marker in a very long time.

Dannah: That might be because we stepped off the trail a while back.

Suzy: So what you’re saying is, we are no longer directionally unsure. We are just lost.

Dannah: I didn’t want to say it, but yes, I think we might be a little bit lost.

Suzy: Well, this is unfortunate.

Dannah: Don’t worry. We just need to slow down, look carefully, and find the trail again.

Suzy: That also sounds a lot like life.

Dannah: It really does.

Suzy: Sometimes people realize they’re on the wrong path and they feel stuck or embarrassed or like it’s too late to turn around.

Dannah: But it’s never too late to get back on the right path.

Suzy: You just stop, look for the right direction, and start walking the right way again.

Dannah: Exactly. God is very good at helping people find the right path again.

Suzy: Okay, wait… I see something up ahead. Is that a trail marker?

Dannah: You’re right! That is a trail marker!

Suzy: We’re saved!

Dannah: We were never in that much danger. (laughter)

Suzy: You say that now, but I was already planning how long I could survive in the woods.

Dannah: Well, good news—we found the trail, and I think we are heading the right direction now.

Suzy: That makes me very happy. I like being on the right trail.

Dannah: Me too. Being on the right path just feels better. Which brings me to something I was going to tell you earlier. 

Suzy?

Suzy: Yeah?

Dannah: About Mt. Nittany . . .

Suzy: That rocky uphill climb!

Dannah: Yeah, there’s an easier way up. It’s longer, but easier and more scenic.

Suzy: Are you serious? All these years . . .

Dannah: I guess it goes to show, you always have a choice of which path you’re on.

Suzy: Truth fact . . . and preferably a path that leads back to the car.

Dannah: That would be ideal.

Suzy: And maybe snacks.

Dannah: Definitely snacks.

Suzy: You know, for a hike where we got lost, we actually learned a lot.

Dannah: We really did.

Suzy: About owls, wisdom, friends, words, and paths! 

Dannah: And maybe also to bring a map next time.

Claire: I’m so glad I have my Bible as a map for my life!

You know, if you’re using a GPS to get somewhere, it doesn’t just say, “Drive to school.” That wouldn’t help you any! No, it tells you what to do in small steps, every time you have to turn.

Well, the Bible’s kind of like that. It shows you where you’re going and how to get there. And in the same way, wisdom isn’t just about one big choice, it’s about lots of small decisions made every single day.

• Every time you choose to tell the truth instead of lie, you’re taking a step on the path of wisdom.
• Every time you choose kind words instead of mean ones, you’re taking a step on the path of wisdom.
• Every time you choose wise friends, you’re taking a step on the path of wisdom. 

After a while, all those small steps become the direction of your life. And when you walk the path of God’s wisdom, you’ll end up being wise. I hope you’ll remember that.

A big part of wisdom is learning obedience. Ooh, that doesn’t sound so glamorous, does it? Well, it’s super important! So next time we’re starting a new season all about that. Come back for it!

Song:

Oh, oh, oh, oh.
I am a true girl.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
I am, I am, I am a true girl!

The True Girl podcast is a production of Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

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