Years ago I heard Andy Stanley talk about the best question to ask yourself in any situation. The question was, “In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?”

The brilliant part about this question is that it moves the discussion beyond simply, “Is this choice right or wrong?,” and helps us to focus on whether the choice is actually wise or not. But determining whether something is wise or not, is often dependent on a number of factors beyond whether it’s simply right or wrong, including where we’ve been, where we’re at, and where we we’d like to go. Some things that may not be “wrong,” may still not be wise. But we’ll never distinguish between the two if the only thing we ask is, “Is it right or wrong?”

Asking whether something is right or wrong may be a good place to start, but determining if something is wise or not is usually the better question to be asking.