Sunday, December 2, 2007

Making decisions... it's tough sometimes

Making a decision is often very hard. Some decisions it seems are very easy to make, while others, we lose sleep over trying to figure out what it is we're supposed to do. The decisions that are the most difficult are the ones that change the course of our lives in one way or another. Things like house moves, or career changes or family changes like marriage or divorce can consume our every thought. What do I do? We play out the consequences of each decision and run them through our minds in anticipation of what obstacles we'll face if we make this decision or that decision. Sleep escapes us, we become tired and exhausted with it all, and if we're not careful we'll fall in our weakness and fail to act at all. We'll fail to make any decision, avoiding the point where we get started, and begin moving forward with what has to be done. I don't know what decision you are facing, but I know that God does. The worst decision we can make is the decision that we fail to allow God to direct. Especially when were talking about the kind of decisions that change our lives in such a big way. God must be in the center of that decision, or he will be in the center of it later when your calling on him to help you out of the poor decision you've made. So no matter what decision it is you face... Seek God's direction and guidance before you decide! The best solution, when we don't know what to do next, is to pray and dig into God's word and be sensitive to His leading. He'll choose a path for you, but will you recognize it?

Here are some verses of scripture that you can meditate over when faced with making decisions. I hope they help.

1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything to his will, he hears us.

Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Proverbs 15:14
The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Proverbs 18:13
He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame.

Just remember it's crucial to make wise decisions, but no decision is wise if it's made independently of God. All wisdom comes from God. Using His wisdom is developed and as we use His wisdom with even the small, seemingly insignificant decisions in our lives, when the big decisions to be made come, we'll be sensitive and aware of God's leading and His wisdom. We may be better prepared to see the right path before us, when we have several to choose from.

Prayer... "Dear heavenly Father, as I seek to make decisions in my own life, may I go the way you want me to, may I always seek your will first before my own. Please lord make my path straight and clear so I'll know the way, and then trust you when I go that way. Thank you Lord for never leaving me or forsaking me as I journey through life, making decisions along the way. It's in Jesus name I pray, Amen."

photo provided by http://www.christianphotos.net/

1 comment:

Barry said...

very good indecision is a dull knife that leaves ragged edges.