Decisions, decisions
Indecisiveness is one of the most infuriating of feelings. In our society we have a HUGE amount of choices presented to us on a daily basis, varying from the mundane: our choice of breakfast cereal or which Netflix show to watch, to the more serious: which job should I do, who should I marry, or where to live. We are constantly bombarded with option after option, and are encouraged to make our own decisions, primarily driven by what we want!
What was the last decision you made? How did you make it?
Despite having an abundance of options, we can often end up feeling overwhelmed and even disempowered. I wonder, what influences your decisions? Your family, your friends? They can be really good sources of guidance, but they can also offer very unwise advice sometimes!
The Bible is full to the brim of guidance when it comes to making decisions. It tells us that ‘the steps of a good man are ordered by the lord’ (Psalm 37:23). Regardless of your gender, God is saying ‘Don’t underestimate the steps you take, I direct every single one, there is such power in them because I order them’. God wants to empower you to make wise decisions, and to utilize wise people around you, but ultimately, He wants you to consider what HE thinks and to be open to how HE wants to guide you.
So often we are filled with doubt. How do I know God is guiding me? He doesn’t seem to be making it clear! Psalm 32:8 says ‘I WILL instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I WILL counsel you with my loving eye on you’. There is no ‘might’ or ‘maybe’, the Lord declares ‘I will’ counsel you.
When faced with difficult decisions, I often ask myself three questions:
Is it loving?
Is it Biblical?
Will it bring God’s kingdom closer?
Now that is by no means a foolproof method, but it helps me to consider things from a new perspective. Sometimes, when multiple decisions are available and God appears quiet, it is often because He is empowering us to choose. We can learn so much through the decision-making process, as painful as it can sometimes be. We can learn what we truly prioritise, what our life goals are, and how we deal with conflict.
Whatever decisions you face this week, God is longing for you to seek His face in it, to trust Him with your future. It’s as if He is whispering over you the reassurance that:
‘You can’t miss my will when you’re walking in it’.
If you feel God is leading you a certain way, try chatting to someone who’s been a Christian for a while, someone you trust. Having someone else pray with you and try and figure out together what God is saying can be so useful. It may even confirm what you have been thinking!
