How do I Know If I am Making the Right Decision?
What do we do when we face a situation that we are unsure of? How can we know
for certain what is the best choice, what God's choice would be?
Throughout all of God's Word, one thing is clearly depicted: As long as we trust
in the Lord and depend on Him in all things, we will not go wrong.
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not
also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Rom 8:32 NIV)
But do we truly rely on Him in all things? Have you noticed that many of the
choices we make on the spot lead us to disappointment? "If only I had known…"
How can we know for certain what God's choice is in our circumstances? There is
only One way: By complete and total reliance on God's Holy Spirit and on His
Word, the Bible.
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth."
(John 16:13 NIV)
"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17 NIV)
Last summer we found ourselves stuck on the Massachusetts Turnpike. We had no
idea that Friday was the day for holiday migration in that state. As we were
crawling along like a dying snake, we decided that there must be a way around
this traffic.
Because we were not from the region, we had to rely on maps. First question? How
to get out of the traffic! The next exit was the solution.
We then set our GPS to guide us to our final destination via that exit. And it
seemed to work. At least for a while.
Just like maps, we have God's Word, that will always guide us in the right
direction. We can't ever go wrong when we rely on it! However, God's Word,
without the guidance of its Author, the Holy Spirit ("All Scripture is
God-breathed…" 2 Tim 3:16 NIV) is not of much use to us. But with God's Spirit's
guidance, it will lead us to our destination, and just like the GPS, it will
guide us to the right decision.
How does it work, exactly?
Just like Jesus, we pray first and share our burden of choice with our Maker.
"After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone…" (Matt 14:23 NIV)
At times we can hear God whisper to us which way to take, but at other times we
do not. In both of these scenarios, we still will need Biblical confirmation, as
God will never contradict His Word.
In prayer we ask God to guide us through His Spirit to reveal to us through His
Word what His will is. We need to trust Him that He will come through for us:
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt 21:22
NIV)
When we feel that peace of heart that only God can provide, then we open God's
Word to wherever He leads us. Prayerfully we go over the Bible text that caught
our attention. At times we may not see the connection with our situation. We
don't need to despair. Instead we need to prayerfully read the entire context of
the text, and watch how God reveals Himself to us.
If we need more confirmation, we can prayerfully open our Bible somewhere else,
and do exactly the same as what we did with the first Bible text we read. We
won't be disappointed!
"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched
land and will strengthen your frame." (Isa 58:11 NIV)
At times, though, we need to wait upon the Lord. "Wait for the Lord; be strong
and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Ps 27:14 NIV)
More often than not, it is at these times when we are the ones who are not ready
to hear what the Lord has to say. Perhaps we cling to a decision that will be
far from satisfying, and if we persist in our obstinacy, it will lead us into
trouble.
"He (Saul) inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or
Urim or prophets." (1 Sam 28:6 NIV) When Saul didn't hear from the Lord, he
became impatient and he stubbornly decided to consult with a medium. This
decision led him very soon afterwards to his own death on Mount Gilboa.
At other times we need to learn patience. This is the time when we can learn to
enjoy our ride through life, always reminding ourselves that "in all things God
works for the good of those who love him…" (Rom 8:28 NIV) It is our time to bond
with God and to develop our trust in Him.
After finally escaping Massachusetts, we again got caught in traffic on our way
to Northern Maine. This time neither our maps nor the GPS could help us out.
There simply were no other routes to where we were going! Our only alternatives
were to get angry or to enjoy the ride. We remembered that God was in our midst,
and we enjoyed the ride.
We can be assured that when we depend on God for all of our decisions, no matter
how small or insignificant they may seem, we will be able to exclaim to our
loving Heavenly Father: "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will
take me into glory." (Ps 73:24 NIV)
It's all really a question of trust! "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust
in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1 NIV)
Do we truly believe, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb
13:5 NIV)?
What will your choice be?
Rob Chaffart