Tag Archives: making decisions

July 26, 2022 · 5:48 AM

Looking Down The Road

When I was younger, I had a really cool sports car. It liked to get up and go, and I had a heavy foot. It wasn’t long before I was caught going over the speed limit. I went to the judge and asked to take defensive driving so that it wouldn’t go on my record. I took the class from a friend’s dad who taught them on Saturday’s. I was embarrassed to be there, but I did it. However, I didn’t learn my lesson. Less than a year later I was back. Over lunch, he said, “Let me tell you a little secret. You need to start looking 30 seconds up the road instead of right in front of you. If you learn to do that, you’ll make better decisions and see things before they’re right in front of you.”

In Matthew 4, we read where Jesus was tempted by the devil. The devil tried to get him to turn stones into bread, to jump off the Temple to prove He was God’s son and bow down to him in exchange for the world’s kingdoms. In each case, Jesus refuted him with the Word of God. Satan was trying to get Jesus to go for things in the moment to satisfy the human nature of wanting things now. Because Jesus knew the Word of God, and was guided by the Spirit, He didn’t go for what was right in front of Him. Instead, He looked down the road at the purpose for which He was sent, trusted God’s Word and made the right decision.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Truth’s shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your Word makes my pathway clear” (TPT). Others versions will say it is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Knowing God’s Word is critical for us believers. One of the ways it helps us is to help us look forward down the path, so we can make the right decisions. It’s light shines on our present situation as well so that we can see what’s really going on and choose wisely. The wisdom and perspective it gives will help us in all areas of our lives. In order to put it in our mind and heart, we must study it, learn it and memorize it. God has given us all we need in it, but it’s up to us to open it up and use it to help us in our present and down the road.

Photo by Bogdan Kozlovskyi on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 26, 2022 · 5:40 AM

Seeking God’s Advice

Several years ago W.W.J.D. took over pop culture. If you didn’t have a bracelet, shirt or hat with it on it, you were not with it. Everyone was asking what would Jesus do to help guide them. That was great, but how often do we ask Him what we should do? I’m pretty good at asking him for direction on big decisions, but not so good at asking Him about smaller ones. Also, I tend to make my own decisions when the answer looks obvious to me, but truthfully, we should be seeking His advice and direction in all aspects of our life, even the ones that seem obvious.

In Joshua 9, the word about Israel defeating Jericho was spreading. Some kings who lived nearby knew that Israel was going to take over the whole land, so they devised a plan to trick them. They sent a group of people with dry, moldy bread, wine skins that had burst and worn out clothes to seek a peace agreement. Verse 14 says, “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord” (NLT). The answer seemed obvious so they didn’t seek God for direction. They agreed to the treaty only to find out a few days later that they lived in the Promised Land. They entered a peace treaty with someone they were told to destroy all because they relied on their own understanding instead of God’s.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make” (TPT). When we rely on our own understanding, we’re not seeing the whole picture. It may seem obvious to us, but we need to rely on God to guide us, especially in seemingly small decisions. When you make the right decisions in small things, you prevent big problems down the road. God is available to guide us in every area of our life and in every decision we make. It’s up to us to take the time to seek His advice on what we should do.

Thanks to Soroush Karimi @soroushkarimi for making this photo available freely on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 20, 2020 · 5:55 AM

Making Choices

Making financial decisions or long term decisions can be difficult. There are some people who have no issues making a decision and living with it, but there are other personality types that struggle because they’re thinking of all the ramifications. They study up on the subject, they weigh the consequences and don’t want to make a mistake. What usually happens is that they feel they can never get enough information to feel comfortable making the decision or they get paralysis through analysis. They are so afraid of making the wrong choice that they end up making no choice at all. It’s a tough spot to be in. Because they can’t feel peace inside, they hold off on the decision until it is often made for them by circumstances.

When this happens to my wife and I, we usually take one or two different approaches. The first one is usually to lay fleeces before the Lord like Gideon did. We ask God to do an impossible thing to show us we’re to make that decision. Gideon did two fleeces, but we usually do three. If two out of three happens, we walk away, even if the third is 99.9% there. If God had desired for us to make that decision, it would have been 100% there. He is able. I don’t always like Hid decision, but in the end, if we have prayed then I know we’re in His will and His decision is better than mine. When disappointment or bitterness try to creep in, I remind myself that God sees the future, and I can’t. He knows what is best, and my peace returns.

The second thing is that we pray for peace regarding the situation. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]” (AMP). If it’s not God’s will, we ask Him to take away our peace, cause us to be stressed over it and to lose sleep. If we lose our peace, we make the decision to not do whatever it is and His peace that passes understanding returns. You and I can’t live in a state of fear or of paralysis through analysis. The Bible shows us many ways to make decisions, but these are the two we have found to be most helpful for us. Decisions can be difficult, but when we have the peace of Christ, we can make them and no that we’re in His will one way or the other.

Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash

3 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

January 20, 2020 · 5:30 AM

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions.

With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make.

Proverbs 3:5 TPT

Today, as a nation, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. He is best remembered for his work in the Civil Rights movement and his “I Have a Dream” speech. Having studied his life, his speech and the Civil Rights movement, I’ve learned a lot about him. Just like you and I, he had many flaws, he made some poor choices and at one point lacked direction in his life. His father was a minister and felt like he was supposed to go into the ministry too, but King wanted to be a lawyer or a doctor. As a young man coming out of college, he struggled with his faith and his future.

After thinking about it, he decided that the Bible had many profound truths that he could not escape. He decided to go to seminary in order to become a minister. Those years in seminary helped shape his public speaking and understanding of Scripture. I believe they have him the ability to say what so many were feeling and didn’t have the ability to express. They gave him the means to energize a people who had been emancipated for a hundred years, yet hadn’t seen a day of freedom since. Because of that decision to go to seminary instead of being a doctor or a lawyer, he changed the course of a nation and a people.

You and I are faced with struggles and difficult life decisions too. You may not think that you will change the course of a nation by the decisions you make today, but you could. I’m sure he didn’t think it mattered as much as it did what he studied as a post graduate. Our decisions have lasting impacts. Sometimes they change us or our family, but they could change our neighborhood, our city, our state or our country. What you do in life matters. The decisions you make shouldn’t be made lightly. Imagine a world where he would have been a doctor. He still would have saved lives, but not nearly as many.

When it came down to it, he made his decisions based on the truths of the Bible. That means he read it for counsel. You and I should be doing the same thing when it comes to our decisions. Instead of finding out what God thinks, we go and ask family and friends what they think. Instead of wondering about the spiritual impact to our lives, we base decisions on the monetary impacts. God’s calling on your life may not make sense at the time, it may take a while to fulfill or even seem so big that you could never accomplish it. That’s ok because He’s not asking you to accomplish His plan for your life in your own strength. He is looking for your obedience.

What decision is weighing you down today? Have you looked to God’s Word for help or to the wisdom of man? You don’t have to be afraid when you act in obedience to what God told you. Don’t look for others to try to give you every reason why you shouldn’t do what God called you to do. Look to God for guidance on your next step and trust that His decisions for your life are far better than the decisions you could ever make for yourself. Who knows, the decisions you make today regarding your calling could change the nation tomorrow.

Photo by Brian Kraus on Unsplash

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

October 7, 2019 · 5:53 AM

Crossroads

How many times do we come to crossroads in our lives? When they come up, I imagine the ending scene of “Castaway” where Tom Hanks character is sitting at one. He gets out of the car with his map and looks at all directions in front of him when a lady pulls up and says, “You look lost. Where are you headed?” He replies, “I do? I was just about to figure that out.” She then tells him where each road heads, gets back in her truck and drives off. We can get advice on which path to take at the crossroads, but ultimately, it’s our decision to make, so we must choose wisely. It’s not wise to stay there long, but it is good to seek God for the right decision before you choose.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.’” (NLT) Being at a crossroads is an unsettling and stressful place. It has the potential to be a moment of great change in your life and you want to make the right decision. That’s why the Lord says in this verse that we are to ask others for godly advice. Which is the old, godly way? Which way does God want me to take? When I ask and can’t find an answer to those questions, it’s good to fast and to seek God for peace in the path He wants you to take. Peace doesn’t mean there won’t be a difficult road ahead. It means that you will have the assurance that no matter what happens, you’re on the road God told you to take.

It would be nice if the roads were marked and the choice were easy, but that’s rarely the case. If you happen to make the wrong choice, and you don’t have peace, fail fast. Don’t let pride keep you on the wrong road. Turn around and go down the one that gives rest to your soul and peace in your heart. God has a plan for your life, and Psalm 37:23 says that the Lord orders our steps and He delights in the details of our life. Don’t be afraid to seek His will asking Him to show you or to seek godly counsel from others who have been there or who can pray with you. God has a peace that passes understanding in these times and will use it to lead you down the right road.

Photo by Pablo García Saldaña on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 15, 2018 · 5:49 AM

Making The Right Choice

If you’re human, you have to make a lot of decisions. There are some small decisions we make daily that don’t really affect much. Then there are those life altering decisions that have to be made and require wisdom, outside perspectives and prayer. Those are the tough ones that you want to make sure you get right. As I face a few of those right now, I can easily fall into the paralysis through analysis trap. That’s where you are so afraid you’ll make the wrong decision that you want more information, but you never have enough information to make a decision. To prevent that, I do a couple of things to help make the right decision.

The first thing is to pray. I ask for wisdom because James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him” (AMP). I then ask for signs like Gideon. They’re usually impossible things that only God can do. I’ll usually pray, “Lord, if I’m to choose this, then make that happen by this date. If you don’t answer, that means I should choose the other.” It’s always incredible to watch God do the impossible.

Finally, I look at the situation through the lens of God’s Word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Truth’s shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your word makes my pathway clear” (TPT). God’s Word will shine a light on a future that’s hidden and guide you along the path God has for you. The more I put God’s Word inside of me, the more it illuminates my life. Decisions are often difficult. I don’t want to make them in the dark or without God’s help. I’ve done these three things for years and have watched God point the way each time. If you’re facing an unknown future right now, try them out and let God guide your life.

Photo by Isaac Davis on Unsplash

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 31, 2018 · 5:49 AM

Whose Life Is It?

Have you ever had to borrow someone’s car that was nicer than yours? How did you drive it? For me, I had my hands at 10 and 2 the whole time. I took extra caution because I didn’t want to wreck it. If it had been my car I was driving, I would have just used one hand on the wheel and been less cautious when driving. Why is that? I think it’s more to do with the ownership of it than the familiarity. If I wreck it, then it was mine to wreck. It’s a whole different story if I wreck something that belongs to someone else.

Now think about the decisions you make regarding your life. For many of us, we treat them like we do driving our own car. It’s our life and our decisions, so if I mess it up, at least it was my life that I messed up. With that kind of thinking, we tend to make quick decisions with less thought than we would if we were giving that advice to someone regarding their life. Can I challenge that link of thinking for a minute? Your life is not your own. You were bought with a price, so it is no longer your life you live, but Christ’s. Sound familiar? Check out 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 if not.

Thinking about that, let’s look at Proverbs 28:25. It says, “To make rash, hasty decisions shows that you are not trusting the Lord. But when you rely totally on God, you will still act carefully and prudently” (TPT). Are you trusting the Lord with your life? Do you believe that it belongs to Him? Then we need to take our time with the decisions we make regarding it and seek His wisdom. It’s time we started treating our lives like they belong to someone else. God created you with a purpose and has a plan for you and your life. Today, instead of making decisions like it’s your life, ask God what His plan is for you.

Photo by Burst on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 2, 2018 · 5:57 AM

Seeking Godly Counsel

Has anyone ever given you bad advice that you’ve taken? In my life, I’ve accepted plenty of bad advice because it sounded good, and rejected a lot of good advice because of pride. I’ve taken advice on investing, trying to affect change in an organization, in my career, and in handling relationships. Most of the time when we seek advice, it’s because we are in a situation where we unsure what to do. Who we get advice from matters because the wrong advice can really mess things up.

The first part of Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm]“ (AMP). Getting no advice, or just the wrong advice, can set you back from your goals in life. Before seeking any advice, I like to pray and ask God for wisdom in choosing the right advice as well as whom to seek it from. I don’t like set backs, and sometimes the wrong advice can seem wise. I want to make sure I’m not relying on my own feelings or the words of a misguided friend.

The rest of that verse says, “But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.” We don’t need to seek wisdom from one source. We need more than one person giving us advice because most difficult decisions have many facets with many different outcomes based on our decisions. If you’re looking for victory over a situation, pray that God would help you find godly counselors who will see the things you can’t, and that He would help you make the right decisions. Don’t let pride and ignorance keep you from victory. Stay on the course God has for you and look for godly counselors along the way.

Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 22, 2018 · 5:45 AM

Seeking Advice

In 1 Kings 12, Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king. The people asked him to lighten the load that his father had put on them. He asked for time to talk to advisors and would answer. He went to his father’s advisors first. They agreed he should lighten the load so the people would be loyal. Then he went to his friends who were younger. They advised him to make things harder. He rejected the advice of the older people, and the nation revolted. The kingdom split in two and he only ruled a small portion of Israel.

We all need advice from time to time, even Solomon did. Who we listen to determines how life is going to go for us. Good advisors don’t just tell us what we want to hear. They give us wisdom and see things we can’t. The best advisors are people who are older than us because they’ve been down the road and know where the road bumps are. Ultimately, every decision we make is ours, and we have to bear the responsibility for those choices. So when you’re looking for advice, lay down your pride and get it from people who are wiser than you.

Here are some verses on getting advice.

1. Sensible people accept good advice. People who talk foolishly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 10:8 GNT

2. People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed.

Proverbs 13:13 NLT

3. Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

PROVERBS 15:22 AMP

4. Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice.

Proverbs 12:15 MSG

5. Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

Proverbs 13:10 NLT

Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,