Deciding Right

Each and every day of our lives, we are confronted with the job of having to make decisions about so many different things. Some decisions we have to make are pretty simple such as; deciding whether to get out of bed in the morning and whether or not to carry out our daily routines like going to work, business or  school.  These decisions are clear-cut because they really do not require any thought process. There are also situations we find ourselves in where we have to respond very quickly. For instance, if you’re crossing the street and you see a car suddenly come speeding towards you, you don’t need to think about whether to get off the road quickly so you don’t get hit. In fact in such dangerous situations, our natural response mechanism communicates to our brain that we need to flee. In other instances, a mother does not need to spend any time thinking of whether or not to pick up and try to pacify her crying infant; neither may a father need to ponder lengthily if he should take his son for soccer practice on weekends when he doesn’t have to work. These are responsibilities that come with the territory of being a parent.

However, there are other times we are faced with situations where making a decision becomes quite arduous. For instance someone who is not feeling fulfilled or deriving any form of job-satisfaction may be thinking of quitting his/her job in order to explore other possibilities far as a career is concerned.  Someone may also be thinking of moving to a new city, state or even country in search of greener pastures. People also have to make choices about relationships and marriage. In all these instances, decisions cannot be made at the drop of a hat. What makes decision making tasking in such situations is that there may not be any right or wrong choice. In such cases, the purpose for deciding is usually to take a step towards making one’s life better than it already is. In simple terms, the decision we take in such instances should affect us positively. This begs the question of: how does one make decisions in such seemingly ambiguous situations?

When having to decide about something that has no clear right or wrong choice, one must first take into account what the possible outcome of the decision could be. One has to examine what consequences (whether positive or negative) could result if a particular decision is made. For example, if one is considering quitting a job or moving to a new city, it would be sensible to weigh the pros and cons before actually taking the decision.
As Christians however, we should always remember that we are subject to the will and purpose of God for our lives. In other words, we cannot and should not live our lives outside of His plan/purpose for us. Proverbs 19:21 (NKJV) tells us that, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel – that will stand.”  Therefore before we even begin to even think towards a particular decision, we need to prayerfully inquire from God what His plan for our life is, and if the decision we want to make is in line with it. If we have already figured out what decision we want to take, we also need to be sure it is in line with God’s word. The Bible tells us that, “there is a way that seems right to man, but its end is a way of deceit,” (Proverbs 16:25 NKJV). As children of God, the last thing we want is to consciously take a decision that could lead us down a path of destruction. If we are confused on whether the decision we want to make is right or not, His word is always there to guide us and lead us to the right place. David put it so aptly in Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) “your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” God’s word brings light which gives direction where there is darkness.
When we are deciding on what to do, we should also allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be our guide, our helper and our counselor. Infact, what qualifies us to be called children of God is that we are Spirit-led (Romans 8:14). And the Spirit helps us in our moments of weakness (Romans 8:26a), when we are confused. It is therefore important for believers to stay in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
We can also help ourselves better decide what to do by seeking counsel from other people who can help us look at things from different perspectives. However, we should employ wisdom when doing so because not everyone may have our best interest at heart.
Having said all this, we should always bear in mind that we may not need to take too long in deciding what to do. Remember that time (and the world) is not going to stand still just so you can make up your mind on what you want to do. Also know that indecision is a decision in itself and could actually end up leading to regret much later in life. Finally, be assured that if you already made a decision that turned out to have some negative consequence, you can fully rely on the grace of God to help you out of it. As far as you are in Christ, He can turn any of your mistakes into something positive if you surrender it all to Him. Remember that “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 (NKJV).