Decision Making

I have listened to and participated many times in discussions among believers about one of the things we seem to like to bat around the most - knowing God’s will for my life. Typical discussions often focus on what we perceive to be the big issues, like what type of work I should be in or who I should marry. But it certainly isn’t limited to those kinds of things. It involves the every day things too. Most of us don’t pray about what socks we are going to wear but we wonder about conversations to have or not have, or what our priorities should be in any given week as we seek to schedule our time. And it seems there is a significant amount of angst in our Christian faith. It seems we have this expectation that God is going to lead us but then we wonder why He isn’t giving us clear personal direction?!

This is an important issue when you think about it. How can we obey God if He won’t tell us what He wants us to do? Here is what I think. Most of the time we tend to want God to make our decisions for us. Think about it. If you had some kind of ‘clear sign’ from God, I mean something that is just over the top totally conclusive, each time you faced a choice in your life, then you really wouldn’t have to make any decisions at all. And wow, would that be easy! There would be no need to really study the Scriptures. There would be no need to agonize over anything in prayer. And you wouldn’t have to really think either. Those things are all really hard work, but we could just forgo all of them because God will have made the decisions already for us and we would only need to sit back, relax and follow the signs. Not only that but you wouldn’t really need a whole lot of faith to believe that God was guiding you because it would all be so clear; so obvious, so visible.

Don’t get me wrong. There are times when God gives us some really visible signs. But clearly, they are the exception to the rule. Most of the time we must walk by faith alone and not by sight. To trust God is to move forward when we can’t see, believing that He will guide our steps.

How do you make decisions? Do you find yourself often stalled or on hold, second guessing yourself or even questioning God? Do you find yourself waiting for some kind of clear sign from God telling you which way to go? That’s not really faith. That is pseudo-faith, not real biblical faith. Study the Scriptures hard, pray hard and get good advice from people you respect for their godly wisdom. Ask the Lord to search the motives of your heart regularly, devote yourself fully to Him, then move forward in faith trusting Him to guide you.

“God, You know I want to do Your will. You know my heart. I want to seek Your kingdom first. I commit myself to make the best decision I can in each situation I find myself in based on all that You have taught me from my life experience examined through the lens of Your Scripture discerned in the community of godly counsel. I know because of my faith in You that You live in me and are able to guide me by Your Spirit. I submit myself to Your will and ascribe to You the prerogative that is Yours to work in my situation in any way Your sovereign will is inclined. As I launch out in faith each day determined to walk in your ways, I believe You will steer me right where You want me to go to do the very things You want me to do as I surrender my will to Yours. Thank You for leading me.”

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9