HOW TO MAKE DECISIONS AND THE WILL OF GOD

How to make decisions and the will of God


Making decisions are sometimes difficult in life and we all face the dread of making the wrong choices. There are low level decisions, medium and high level choices that effect us and everyone around our surroundings so I am very convinced that this is a topic that should be discussed and analyzed from the backdrop of what the Bible teaches and how we are to apply this principle in our lives.

Even though the Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5. This verse is clear but that does not mean we will never make a wrong decision in life. It was once said that sixty thousand thoughts pass through our minds every day so I believe it would be hard to make the right decision every single time. I'm not sure if that number is correct but it is something to ponder and you can come to your own conclusion on the matter. Maybe we can even give other people a little slack if they make a couple of wrong choices in their path which may effect us in a bad way.

Decisions are like the domino effect because one bad judgment can lead into more erroneous choices and as a result our life can become ruined and in total shambles before God. The whole theme of the parable of the prodigal son is, "Dad I made horrible choices and went into this downward spiral of sin." The child repented and the Father forgave His wayward son with open arms but if no confession came out then this person would still be in the muck and mire of slime. He had a moment of common sense and that is what I am praying for through this article if you are in that situation.

If your life is relatively stable I want you to consider a few verses in the word of God that may assist you in this subject. The Bible does say, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8. If God is instructing us we have to be listening. If God is guiding us with His eye He is seeing everything and we have to rely on Jesus Christ to show us the way in our limited perspective. If we don't understand that we see very little and God sees everything then we don't even grasp the basics which is Christians serve an all seeing, all knowing, all powerful God that desires to help us in our decision making process.

I can hear some people say, "What is the big deal, so I make some bad choices?" Let's turn this whole thing around --- "Lord I want to make the right decisions so I might be pleasing to you and in your will." What is the better path? The first group of people do not care (red flag) and is half hearted in their approach toward life. The other group is making proactive decisions and want to honor God and help other people. There is a spirit that comes out of a person in the first example and in simple terms says, "I don't care." There is a spirit that comes out of a person in the second example that says, "I do care and I want to make the right choices."

The Bible teaches us that we are to have an eternal perspective all the time especially in our decisions as we travel through life. "For this God is our God for ever; He will be our guide even unto death." Psalm 48:14. This is a very special verse to me because the passage starts out with Jesus Christ being our God for eternity but then it comes down to our level and explains to us that the Holy Spirit guides us to the very day we die or are raptured into heaven before the judgment of God is poured on planet earth.

There is something about making a proactive CHOICE to serve the Lord and everything else will fall into place. I did not say we would not suffer in one way or another but God will set us up properly so we will be in a position to make right decisions. "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." Proverbs 16:3. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way." Psalm 37:3.

Who is our strength? Jesus Christ. I think our Lord will be more then glad to help us make any kind of decision because He desires us to make the right choices in life. "For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead, and guide me." Psalm 31:3. When the Bible says ... "For my name's sake" ... we need to remember that if we say we are Christians our representation is for Jesus Christ so our Lord has a vested interest in guiding us but we need to allow Him to be our rock and fortress.

We sometimes forget that we serve a good God but we hopefully remember this fact more than it slips our mind in some kind of oversight. I suppose it depends on our mindset in life. If we understand this reality about God we should never take this for granted. Do we know how special this is because we serve a good God? Every other god that I know of is evil in one way or another. Of course they are not really God but people get themselves to believe this and they would have to be under deception in one way or another.

The Bible says, "Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst." Nehemiah 9:20. The last part of the verse is talking about God meeting our needs because of His Goodness but the first section of this passage says that God has a good spirit and wants to impart this into us to instruct our decisions. Jesus Christ wants us to make the right choices but our devotion to Him must be first and foremost.

This subject is applicable to one of the most popular verses in the Bible in such a perfect way. (5) "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6. Notice God wants our heart not our mind although our thoughts are to be pure but we are not to lean on our own understanding. This is just the opposite of what we are taught in life but we really don't see what God understands to be the way He desires our life to run from life into eternity. Think about this -- what if in everything we did our life just acknowledged Jesus Christ? This is a learning process but we also have to train our ways to do this so it becomes an everyday process to us. The result is He will direct our path and for the most part we will make the right decisions. If we don't God will work everything out for good to those who love Him and are called unto His purpose.

Of course the Bible plays a significant role in us making the right decisions and being in the will of God. In fact the verse that I am about to quote is applicable 24 hours a day. (22) "When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakes, it shall talk with thee. (23) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." I am talking to a variety of different types of people. Some have a lot of time to read the Bible and some do not. I am one that works much so I really have to budget my time. I am also talking to individuals in certain parts of the world that don't have access to the word of God like other areas on this planet. Whatever position you are in just talk to the Lord about your situation regarding the subject of the Bible and God will give you an answer as long as your heart is in the right place for Him.

If we should be going in a certain direction God wants us to make the right choice but it is a learning process and Jesus Christ has to teach us this skill. We can not be passive in the decision making process for the glory of God. If we make the wrong decision this is not necessarily a sin although in some contexts it is a transgression against God. "Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go." Isaiah 48:17.

I noticed that a lot of people make the wrong decisions in life because they feel all dried up on the inside. In being a Christian for many years I realize that in my dry spells God wants to give me water for my soul and renew me in Him. Let us face the facts because we make decisions all the time. I have already made up my mind on this matter because I want to make the right choices in life even in my valleys. I realize that God not only desires that from me but He commands this in my life. The Bible says, "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:11.

In the subject of decision making and the will of God we can not forget the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Spirit of truth guides us Christians into all truth. Are you tired of half truths and half lies? I am because it makes my stomach sick because God has given me a spirit of discernment to recognize this deception. Isn't it refreshing to know that the Bible says, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come." John 1:13. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord by repenting of all our sins the Holy Spirit came to live inside us and guide us into all truth. We just have to be receptive to His prodding in our walk with Jesus Christ.

If you don't feel you truly invited the Lord into your heart then by all means please do so by sincerely repenting of every one of your sins and allowing Jesus Christ to be Lord of your life. We can not be truly prosperous and make the right decisions with good success without Jesus Christ in our life. With the Bible as our guide we do our best to observe and obey what is written in the word of God. Wherever we are in life the Holy Spirit will help us make the right decisions and be in the will of God.

God bless you,
Bob D.