Learning to Make the Right Decision. Every Time.
We make decisions every day. Research indicates we make between 33,000 and 35,000 decisions. Every day. Before you feel overwhelmed or try counting, ninety-five percent of those decisions are made on the subconscious level. We also make many decisions that are automatic. For example, I brush my teeth every morning. That’s a choice I make without really thinking about it.
There still remain decisions we need to think through or wrestle with. How do you decide? There are no shortage of online tips and advisors on how to make good decisions, and while much if can be OK, they miss an essential element. You don’t just want to make a good decision; you want to make the right decision—and that gets to the ultimate question:
What does God want me to do?
Thankfully, God has not left us alone to determine what’s best in making decisions. He has given us the Bible, His Word. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). There is no decision we can make that cannot be guided by God’s Word.
However, there is a right way and a wrong way to gain guidance from Scripture. The wrong way is to make a decision first and then go hunting through Scripture to find a verse that supports that decision. If you try hard enough, you can make the Bible say anything you want. Just ignore the context, the background of the passage, or what the biblical writer meant. People have done this to make the Bible support ideas and practices that the Bible clearly does not endorse! We are never to abuse God’s Word in this manner.
Two practices will help us avoid this practice and will lead us to the proper use of Scripture in decision making.
Surrender to the lordship of Christ. I must surrender my will to His will daily. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship” (Rom. 12:1). Being a living sacrifice means I die to self so that Christ can reign over my heart, mind, and choices. I need this when it comes to decision making, because I don’t need to be led by my own faulty reasoning or preferences.
Renew the mind. Right after Paul told us to be living sacrifices, he said, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (v. 2). When we renew our minds, we learn to think like Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). But how do we renew our minds?
We renew our way of thinking as we delve into God’s Word. Read it. Study it. Take time to learn its background and what the writer intended. Let me be abundantly clear on this. For good decision making, we need to do more than just read God’s Word; we must study it to ensure we are looking at the passage correctly and not misinterpreting and coming to a faulty application.
As you study, make a habit of asking, “What does God want me to do with this truth or with this passage?” That truth may not apply to the immediate decision you are considering, but it gets you in the mindset of thinking biblically. And of course, as you study and seek application, pray. “Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths” (Ps. 25:4).
As you study God’s Word with a heart of submission to Christ, there is one more element to assist you in decision making: do all this in the context of community. Include other believers in your study, understanding, and application of God’s Word. I can’t overemphasize the value of seeking God in the context of a small group of fellow believers studying God’s Word together, praying together, and encouraging one another. When it comes to decision-making, Proverbs 11:14 tells us: “Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” A community of believers (whether you call it a Sunday School class, small group, Life Group, or whatever) is not a group getting together to share their ignorance; instead, it is engaging in a study of God’s Word together and helping one another apply its truths correctly.
I love my Bible study group. We use a curriculum from Lifeway to give our study direction, but as we study and learn together, we come to the end where the question is raised: “So what does God want you to do with this truth?” I’m often affirmed, and I’m often challenged. Just as the Holy Spirit works by speaking through His Word and speaking to my mind, He also speaks through the body of Christ, His church. I need that.
Praying and studying God’s Word in the context of a Bible study group will lead to wise decision-making.
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