Have you ever
met someone who was super indecisive? Every single decision they made was overwhelming
for them. I mean I, myself, struggle
with the big decisions, but when it comes to simple things like where to eat
or what kind of ice cream flavor I want… it’s really no big deal!
Making decisions
can be hard at times. I get it! There’s really no special training when it
comes to decision making in life. We
learn as we go on the spot from our own bad choices or from those of
others. It’s a live and learn kind of
process.
When I was
little, I remember learning quickly that touching a hot pan on the stove top
hurts a lot and guess what? I didn’t do
it again after that. Well… not intentionally. I also
learned that walking barefoot through a bunch of dandelions in the yard could open
up the possibility of me stepping on a bee… which hurts too. Hmmm… it seems like a lot of my life lessons have
been gleaned from moments of pain.
Interesting?
The decisions we
make on a daily basis really do matter!
As a matter of fact, sometimes our bad choices (if we aren’t careful) can
turn in to life-long consequences that we have to live with forever!
The decisions we make today can
affect our future tomorrow!
Many
times we rush ahead making decisions about things on the spot never
even considering what God might think about it all! Friend, I don’t know if you realize it or
not, but God wants to be involved in our decision making process.
I know, for many
it seems a little crazy to ask God’s opinion about our decisions. I mean how can we really know what He is
thinking? How can we hear His voice or
even expect to know His will for our lives?
Is there a “Learning to hear God’s voice” book for dummies anywhere I
can buy?
I hear you
friend. I’ve been there too, but believe
it or not God really can actually speak to us personally. He’s done it for me time and time again. Rarely is it ever in an audible voice, but
there are lots of other ways God can speak to us and help direct our steps in
the right direction.
The first thing
we need to do if we really want God’s help in making better decisions is … get
to know Him better. We need to
recognize His voice above others. I can
say confidently after twenty five years of marriage that I can recognize my
husband’s voice in a crowded room. It is
a unique sound to me. We have talked
often and I have listened intently to him…. So I am familiar with his voice. (It helps that he is really loud and outgoing
making his voice all the more undeniable!)
Connecting with
God and growing a stronger relationship with Him takes time and effort. If you aren’t spending time with Him, I will
guarantee you that you won’t hear His voice or sense His leading when it comes
to the choices you make.
James 4:8 says…
“Come close to God, and God will come close to
you...”
As we draw
closer to Him by reading His word (The Bible), praying (talking to Him like we
would a friend), and going to church (surrounding ourselves with others who
love God), we will begin to discern His nudges, sense His promptings, and follow
His leading in making right choices.
God speaks in
many ways. Here are a few He has used
with me….
The Bible: God
uses His word to speak truth to our hearts for our everyday lives as we read
it. I like to read the book of Proverbs several
times a year (one chapter a day over a month).
It’s a book of wisdom. God’s
words placed deep inside of us help us make wise decisions. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm
119:11).
Memorizing scripture
helps us make wise decisions as well. Whenever
I have been struggling in the past, old scriptures I have memorized have always
come back to my mind to encourage me at just the right time.
Prayer:
Whatever decision we are seeking guidance on, we need to involve God in
the process. Ask His opinion. Pray over all of the details involved for an
extended period of time. For major
decisions I might pray a week or a month before deciding. Don’t be in a hurry. Don’t allow your emotions to lead you. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. “…when He, the Spirit of truth, is
come, He will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13a).
The goal at the
end of your focused prayer time should be a sense of God’s peace when
you think about your decision. If you feel
uneasiness it may be God directing you AWAY from that particular decision.
“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of
righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever” (Isaiah 32:17).
Other People: God
uses other people as instruments to encourage us, speak wisdom into our lives,
and tell us the truth in love. It is
always good to have two or three people in our lives that we trust (that are godly
examples to us) to confide in and confer with when we need wisdom.
“Plans fail without good advice, but they succeed
with the advice of many others.” (Proverbs 15:22).
As we are seeking God’s direction in a
particular area of our lives, we need to be open to asking those closest to us for wisdom
and direction. Don't just tell them what
you are thinking about doing and ask them to pray. Ask them the following question(s)…
1. As a friend or mentor
in my life, do you feel any hesitation or reservation in me doing this particular thing? If so, why?
2. What wisdom do you
have to offer me in this particular situation?
3. What are your thoughts
about this area of my life?
Ask them to be completely honest with you. Be ready to receive,
open to correction/godly wisdom, and prepared to love them no matter what they
say.
In major
decisions involving transition, our goal should be 100% positive responses. If you get a variety of responses that aren't
all positive, then you need to go back to your prayer room and seek God's face.
A sense of peace should be the outcome in the end.
been directing us to do.
God’s direction should be our primary goal.
Circumstances: Sometimes circumstances can help lead us to right
decisions. Let me give you an example….
Years ago my
husband and I were serving at a church as youth leaders while in college. We were heavily involved… practically the
unpaid assistant youth pastors. Before
we graduated we were offered a job as just that, but part-time. The only
stipulation was that we would have to work as janitors for the church as well
until they could afford to pay us. They
weren’t at a place to be able to hire us full-time.
It was an
awesome church and we were up for the challenge, but we wanted God’s will. We decided to pray for a week seeking God
intently concerning all of this. We knew
even though it looked like an awesome opportunity, the right thing at the
wrong time was still the wrong thing.
We prayed separately
and determined to share our thoughts with one another the following Sunday
night. That morning at church as we
glanced down at the sermon title for the evening message, we were shocked at
what it said. The title was… “When God
says GO!”
With that
message, plus our prayers, and the wisdom of others, God was beyond clear in
His direction for us. It was time for us
to seek a full time ministry position even if that led us away from the church
we loved. Even though it didn’t make
sense to us at the time (in the natural), we were committed to follow God’s
leading.
As I look back
today, I can see His hand guiding us specifically to each place we went after
that and all the people we encountered. I am overwhelmed at God’s faithfulness to see
us through and use us in ways we never dreamed possible for His glory.
“Circumstances”… I
guess God likes to use this one a lot for me.
Maybe it’s because many times I’m too busy DOING things for Him that I
don’t take time enough to really LISTEN.
James 1:2-3 says…
“… when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for
great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your
endurance has a chance to grow…”
The decisions we make today can affect our future tomorrow!
I have had Christian
friends who have made horrible choices that have landed them in jail, led them
into affairs (that have destroyed their families), and gotten them wrapped up
into a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol. In
the end, they discovered (after all of the consequences of their actions hit
them) that it’s not where they really wanted to be. When I think about it all, it baffles my
mind.
How did they get to that dark place when
at one point they seemed so close to God?
It’s not something
that happens overnight, friend! It’s a
slow process of us deafening our ears to God day by day. It begins with us choosing to allow other
things to come before Him or replace our time with Him in our
lives. The end result is that our hearts
become far from God and our lives become centered completely on ourselves. That’s a dangerous place to be!
I challenge you
to draw close to God today. Invite Him
into every area of your lives (let nothing be off limits with Him). Make the decision to keep Him first place in
your life. Ask for His help to make
“right” decisions. Ask others around you
for wisdom. The decisions we make really
do matter! Do you trust Him with the
details of your life? I dare you to try
a new way of living… “Making decisions with God in mind”. That is one decision you will never regret!
Living to leave
a legacy,
Julie
Prayer:
God, I thank you
that you want to be involved in my life.
I know You really do care about me.
Help me to make you a priority in my life. I want to spend special time with You daily…
reading your word, talking with you, and listening to your heart. I want to draw closer to you and learn how to
recognize your voice. God please help me
to use wisdom as I make decisions. I
pray your spirit would guide me daily.
Help me also to look to other godly people in my life to guide me in my
big decision making times. I pray that your
peace would guide me in all that I do and that my decisions would honor you. Thank you for your patience with me as I
learn. I love you with all of my
heart! Amen.
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