How to untangle the Gordian Knot of life with wisdom, the word, and the Good Shepherd

Let’s be honest. Life can get tangled. Not the sort of tangled you fix with a gentle pull and a nice cup of tea. No. Life’s knots can look more like a ball of Christmas lights. Whether it’s our finances, our family, our friendships or our future, sometimes life gets into such a twist we feel like shouting, "Does anyone have scissors?!"

And when life gets knotted, we often ask, "How on earth do I unravel this?"

Interestingly, the ancient world had a phrase for this. They called it the "Gordian Knot".

A knotty legend

Back in ancient Phrygia (now Turkey), a prophecy said, "The next man to enter the city in an ox-cart will become king."

Enter Gordias, a humble farmer. He rolls in on an ox-cart, gets crowned king and, in thanks, ties his ox-cart to a post with a complicated knot.

Then came a second prophecy, "Whoever can untie this knot will rule all of Asia."

People tried. Pulled. Tugged. No success.

Then along comes Alexander the Great in 333 BC. He looks at the knot, pauses for a moment, and, being a man of action, draws his sword and slices it in half.

That’s one way to do it!

From that day on, "cutting the Gordian knot" meant solving a complicated problem through bold, decisive action.

But here’s the thing...

Discernment or drama?

Alexander reached for his sword, but scripture teaches us to reach first for discernment.

Alexander reached for his sword, but scripture teaches us to reach first for discernment. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

Discernment is spiritual perception. It’s recognizing what’s really going on beneath the surface, and knowing the difference between what looks urgent and what is important. It’s the difference between reacting and responding in wisdom.

Some knots require patience. Others, prayer. And occasionally, yes, there are moments when the Lord says, "Pick up the sword."

The sword of the Spirit—God’s word in action

Alexander used a sword of steel, but the Bible gives us a far sharper one: the sword of the Spirit.

Alexander used a sword of steel, but the Bible gives us a far sharper one: "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).

In Matthew 4, when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he didn’t engage in a philosophical debate or try to reason his way out. No, he responded every time with the same phrase: "It is written." And with that, he silenced the enemy.

Sometimes in life, there are knots of fear, anxiety, sin, addiction or spiritual oppression that don’t need to be unraveled, they need to be cut through with the truth of Scripture. When we declare God’s Word in faith, we’re not using empty clichés—we’re wielding spiritual authority. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) tells us, "The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword." That’s not metaphorical fluff—that’s spiritual firepower.

But not every knot needs a sword

This is where we need godly wisdom because not every situation needs confrontation. Some require discernment. Some require godly counsel. Some simply require time.

If you don’t know what to do – ask the One who does.

James 1:5 (NIV) says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault." In other words, if you don’t know what to do—ask the One who does.

And don’t stop there. Proverbs 15:22 (NIV) says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." We’re not meant to face tangled problems alone. The Lord speaks through scripture, prayer, godly friends and wise mentors. Godly counsel is a gift. It brings outside perspective, spiritual insight, and often a gentle, life-giving rebuke, like, "You’re tugging the wrong rope, mate."

I remember at church seeing a little boy who had a shoelace so knotted it looked like spaghetti. I offered to help, and he looked at me with suspicion and said, "Don’t make it worse." We’re like that with God sometimes. We want his help, but we don’t want him to meddle.

But here’s the good news: God is not here to make our life messier. He’s here to make it new. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!' He’s not just the unraveller of knots, he’s the restorer of souls.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd

We follow Jesus the Good Shepherd, who guides us through tangled terrain.

Now let’s be clear: we don’t follow Alexander the Great, sword-wielding conqueror. We follow Jesus the Good Shepherd, who guides us through tangled terrain. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27 NIV).

The Good Shepherd doesn’t shout orders from a distance. He walks with us. Leads us. Feeds us. And yes, at times, equips us with a sword—not to wound, but to win. We must be Spirit-led, word-fed, and shepherd-guided.

What to do when you’re facing a gordian knot

Here’s your practical, biblical checklist when life gets tangled:

• Pause and pray—seek discernment.
• Ask for wisdom—James 1:5.
• Get godly counsel—Proverbs 15:22.
• Use the sword of the Spirit—Ephesians 6:17.
• Follow the Good Shepherd—John 10:27.

Final thought: not all knots are the enemy

Some knots are there to build our faith.
Some are there to teach us to pause, pray and listen.
Some are God’s gentle way of saying, ‘"You can’t untangle this alone. Let me."

So the next time you’re facing a Gordian Knot, don’t just pull or swing wildly...

• Seek discernment
• ask for wisdom
• draw near to godly counsel
• wield the sword of the Spirit
• and trust the voice of the Good Shepherd.

He still untangles what we cannot.

Prayer

Lord, I give you the tangled areas of my life. Grant me discernment to see what I cannot, wisdom to act as I should, and faith to trust your timing. Help me to speak your word with boldness when needed, and to follow your voice with obedience always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Originally published by Philo Trust. Republished with permission.

J.John is an evangelist, minister, speaker, broadcaster and writer. He has been in ministry for four decades. He has spoken in towns, cities and universities in 69 countries, establishing Philo Trust in 1982 to organize his various evangelistic ministry offerings. J.John’s weekly podcast,The J.John Podcast, features a range of interviews with Christians from all walks of life and talks by J.John. Click here to listen. J.John’s books are available to order via jjohn.com or through other online or physical bookshops.