Where we are today is the result of the choices we have made over the years. Our choices can either make or mar us. The height of your attainment in life is a direction of your choices. Choices are the key drivers of destiny.
We make decisions everyday, some decisions are easier to make than others. Varying from the minors of what to eat, what to wear, what to say, what to look like, to the majors of what kind of life you want to live, who to marry, who to associate with, what career path to choose.
God created us with a free will. Free will is your natural inclination, unforced choice. You have a free will; you have your choices to make. God is all knowing and all powerful yet allows us to make our own decisions. As a good Father, He guides and teaches us telling us what is good or bad. He does not force any one to do anything.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.
Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were given the instruction of what to eat or not to in the garden. God told them the probable consequences of their action. Using Adam and Eve as examples. God already knew what was best for Adam and his wife. He clearly stated what the consequence would be for the choices they make. They made a different choice because they did not trust Him who gave the instruction. Unfortunately, we do not have access to God’s audible voice (even though some claim they hear voice audibly) and do not have the chance to talk to Him face to face. Yet decisions are faced with making decision daily. We constantly have to choose all thorough out life.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15-17
So how do we know what the right choice is each time? How do we guarantee the outcomes we want when we choose?
Adam and Eve seem to be looking for a “better outcome” than what God promised.
There were several possible outcomes with God’s instruction for Adam and Eve. They were deceived to question God’s reasoning for not eating the fruit. They died the day they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the death was not physical death but spiritual. The outcome of their decision is what humanity has to deal with now. In the same vein, some choices we make may not only affect us but generations after us.
The story of Joseph in the Bible is another example, while he was sold into slavery and living in Potiphar’s house, he was faced with a difficult choice, to sleep with Potiphar’s wife or not to.
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
Genesis 39:8-10
Joseph went through a lot of challenges in life, from hatred to slavery, to imprisonment before he became the prime minister in Egypt. The choices he made no doubt helped him to success and a beautiful life. If he had a made a different choice, the outcome would not have been the same.
So then how do we make the right choice and get a positive outcome? The decision-making process is not very straightforward, some are easier than the other but we can learn from these stories to provide some guidance.
Here are few things to consider when faced with making decisions in life –
Do Your Research – Get Wisdom, Get Understanding
Adam did not have to seek out the truth about the fruit in the garden. God already told them the good and the restricted ones. In making decisions in life, we need to seek out the truth. As children of God, the Bible is full of wisdom. That wisdom is applicable today as it was thousands of years before. The principle of God’s word never changes. When seeking direction for a certain situation start with God’s word. This will mean that you take time to study the word yourself. This will mean that you take time to study the word yourself. Joseph understood that sexual immorality was a sin and so was able to say “no”.
Of course, not every answer is written in black and white in the Bible. For example, you may not be able to find answers as to what specific career field to choose in the Bible, but the principle of God’s word will be there to guide you to be not afraid to follow your dreams and have dominion on the earth.
Do your research and ask questions.
Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14.
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22
Pray About Your Decision.
There are several things that are out of our control but nothing is out of God’s control. Therefore you should make your decisions and choices prayerfully trusting God. Prayer is acknowledging God in the decision-making process.
Present your choices and the counsel you received before God and ask Him to lead you to o the right thing.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Be Courageous
Sometimes what is right is not the easiest thing to do. It will take courage and faith in God to press on. Great victory takes courage. Especially when you have to do something completely new to you or your circle of influence.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Have Faith in God
Joseph believed God would take care of him even though it may not have been very clear to him how things were going to work out. Adam and Eve on the other hand did not trust the instruction they were given. They listened to what the serpent had to say. When tempted to doubt God and His word, remember your choices will influence your outcome. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Sometimes our lack of faith is what leads to our disobedience.
Faith is all about trusting God and what His word. The principle of God’s word, the Bible is not burdensome. God always wants the best for us so it is safe to trust Him and His instructions.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3
The outcome of our decision may not always be easy and straightforward. Like Joseph, we have to trust and believe the process.
Don’t Be Afraid To Fail
We may not always get it right but when life presents the opportunity to make amends, we can do so without regrets. You can’t regret the outcomes of any choice that you make according to God’s instruction and standard. Every right choice you make, have the ability to change the outcome of a wrong choice you have made in the past. You may not be able to control the outcome of your choices, or the timing of your desired outcome but you can make the choice to be courageous and keep going.
10 Practical Tips in Making Decisions in Life
- Always look at the bigger picture
- Seek counsel but ultimately be ready to take responsibility for the decision you make
- Write stuff down. Your thought process. Write them down.
- When possible share with your immediate circle of influence who you believe will be objective and honest with you
- Consider all the different scenarios
- Timing is key. A good decision made too late is as bad as a bad one
- Consider the consequences, long and short term
- Weigh the pros and cons of your choice.
- Don’t choose based on what others would think or feel about you.
- How does this choice impact you overall?
Conclusion
The decision making process may not always be an easy one, as Christians we have the advantage of the Holy Spirit. He leads and guides as Jesus promised He would.
