We can put ourselves under tremendous amounts of pressure in life in trying to “stick the landing” in decision making. The pressure can make us sick…overwhelmed…even paralyzed.
The logic goes like this – God already knows what is best. God knows the right decision and where each decision will take us. So if we are faced with three options, there is only one best answer and we need to pray and determine what that one thing is and do only that.
What if I told you that was oftentimes the wrong way to think about how you make decisions? What if God was waiting to bless whatever decision you decided, through prayerful consideration, was the right decision for your life?
Would that change anything?
To be clear I am not talking about moral vs immoral options. That is clear what God wants. I am talking about life decisions – like having three jobs to choose from and getting all anxious because you might mess it up.
What if you prayed about it….picked what seemed most God-honoring…and went on with your life…and what if God blessed your decision and honored you in making it?
For many of us, it would mean much less worry centered on big decisions and much more enjoyment in what we decide.
2 Responses
I am shocked, I guess, to read this as if it is a new discovery. For decades I have spoken and written about the simplicity of our decisions – and how complicated we want to make this.
How we expect God to make the decision for us, or let us know in some miraculous way what to decide.
In short: God has ONE rule about decision making: Does my decision honor God? That is it. No more. Simple.
What kind of a job? Marriage or not? Who? Move? Children or not? Mission work here or…?
Apply this one simple rule: Does it honor God?
God really is not too interested where you live, what job you have, whether you marry or not, children or not, move overseas or not.
If… Then. IF the outcome of my decision honors God, THEN…
We seem to have gotten caught into this “Fleece” theology. God, if you want me to choose A or B, give me a sign, please. Who determines the sign? Who determines the answer?
This whole idea of having to “discern what the will of God is about…” is moving our personal responsibility away from us.
Our congregation decided to look for a new minister. A purely business like model was followed, including focus-groups and the works.
In the end, two candidates remained. One declined the invite, the other did the same thing. I suggested that might be the outcome of God’s will: Assume the responsibility our self for the preaching and the outreach and the ministering and… and… But, the answer? Neither of these men were God’s will, so keep looking…
Discerning God’s will is easy: Does the outcome honor God? No minister and personal input would honor God’s will…
Not many people are taught how to make godly decisions growing up. You never see how your parents or church leaders actually make decisions…and even if you did it might not help. We need healthy models!