It's just after noon, and I've already made several decisions...in fact, I'll be making decisions all day... and tomorrow and the next day.... sometimes I feel like life is a series of decisions...and each one has consequences.
It wasn't always like that; okay, that's not entirely true, I've always made choices, though I doubt choosing which Lego model to construct next had many real-world implications, and I certainly doubt my preference for Third Year at Malory Towers over The Famous Five Get into a Fix was going to influence Enid Blyton's next writing project.
What I do remember is that decisions were simple and straightforward and fuelled by my emotions; I chose what I liked, what I wanted to do, and what I felt like doing at the time, provided my choices stayed within the parameters of my parents' rules, I was permitted to do so.
I occasionally strayed and made unwise decisions, such as hanging upside-down from some scaffolding erected around a nearby building and my somewhat rash method of testing whether the warnings about electricity being dangerous were true…….by grabbing a live wire.
Shocking consequences ensued (pun intended) ....to this day, I'm not sure which caused more concern, my being thrown across the room or the resulting blackout.
Every decision we make has consequences; some will be minor, while others will be life-changing. Without worrying and obsessing over every single move we make; we must be concerned about the pattern of our decision-making.
So, as Christians, how do we make decisions? How do we make decisions that have the potential to have a significant impact on important aspects of our lives and the lives of others? One thing is certain: no matter what decision we make, we will have to live with the consequences.
Making decisions about matters that are clearly outlined in Scripture; the Ten Commandments, and other instructions that relate to sin and righteousness, should not be difficult for a Christian who is submitted to Christ and is Spirit-filled.
However, the real challenge of spiritual living lies in matters that are not clearly defined in Scripture, the grey areas, and non-moral issues.
How should we deal with them? Does the Bible provide any guidance on the approaches we should take? Is making decisions as simple as drawing lots, like the disciples did to choose Judas' replacement? The specific details of this approach are hazy, but it was undoubtedly actioned frequently in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, and sometimes under the direction of God.
Should we look for signs, a prophecy or word of knowledge, a vision, or a dream....and how would we interpret those signs? Could they be in any way misinterpreted by our emotions or feelings? I believe that when I was much younger and motivated by my desires and emotions, and so desperate to have those met, I would have been perfectly happy to interpret a flashing traffic light as a sign of God winking at me to confirm my latest choice!
Should we be asking others to seek God on our behalf and then relying on their input, their dreams, their visions etc. and if we do act on that advice, and that input is preceded by “God told me”…..what then would happen if you acted upon any input you received and that advice turned out to be faulty? Would that have any impact on your faith in God? Would your disappointment lead to a faith crisis, a "but God told me” moment?
However, even with these caveats, the Bible does say that victory can be found in a multitude of counsellors; however, it is prudent to limit this source of insight to spiritually minded people who both know God and know you, as well as know the situation in which you are looking to make a decision and who you know make decisions that conform to biblical teaching. But keep in mind that gathering information from an ever-expanding list of counsellors until you find the one whose advice corresponds to your desired outcome is hardly the point.
Let us not forget prayer; God has a way of answering prayers from hearts that are open to conformity to the truth of His Word. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will renew our minds so that we have it in our hearts and mind to know what to do, and other times God will open or close doors.
Whatever evidence you consider using to fuel your decision, the Bible is unequivocal; scripture supersedes spiritual gifts. 1 Cor 14:37–38
“If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognise this, he is not recognised.”
Any gifts of prophecy, wisdom, visions, or dreams, coming through a fallible human mind like yours and mine, must be tested by Scripture. Paul makes this abundantly clear; 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21
“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”
It is not uncommon for people to want to see or hear some definitive answer to their prayers for guidance, something that they perceive as a ‘real sign from heaven’, something tangible.
For example, in the case of deciding on a marriage partner, many may wait on God to be instructed who to choose but as far as I can discover only two people were told who to marry; Joseph, who married Mary, and Hosea who was told to marry a prostitute!
For a clue as to who we are free to marry check out 1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
And you can cross-reference that with 2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
I think God gives us lots of freedom to make decisions, but he also expects us to make those decisions wisely, to exercise wisdom. While I am not saying that tangible signs seldom if ever happen, it is clear from scripture that God tells us that we are called to live our lives and make our decision based on the teachings of scripture, that is why scripture is there. We are also to use wisdom and ask God to renew our minds and give us wisdom.
Wisdom is not the same as knowledge; wisdom however cannot be exercised without knowledge because wisdom is the practical application of the bible’s teachings, it is taking the truth and teaching of God’s word and skilfully applying them to your life so that you can live a correct Christian life, a life approved by God. This type of wisdom is the kind James talks about, the understanding and practical skill that is necessary to live life to God’s glory. God has wisdom in abundance available for those who seek it. Romans 11:33
So, sticking with the teachings of the bible are there any clues as to how we should live our Christian lives, make our decisions, our choices?
Let’s assume we want to know the will of God on a certain matter; normally we would assess the situation, just as we would before we were Christians, but now we need to assess things a little differently.
In Romans 12:1-2 Paul encourages us to look at our entire Christian lives as acts of worship, not just what we do on Sunday in church, Paul is talking about what God and the world see in us every day and every moment of the week.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Paul says that to discern the will of God, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and this kind of transformation can only take place if the Holy Spirit transforms our thinking via regular study and meditation on Scripture. There are so many scriptures that confirm this pattern of thought: Psalm 119:11 Colossians 1:28, 3:10, 3:16, Philippians 4:8
It would be fair to say that the renewed mind is one saturated with and controlled by the Word of God.
Paul's concern is such that he frequently writes to fellow Christians to tell them what he is praying for them so that they can pray to God for the same things. In Philippians 1 v9-11 we find him in jail but praying that their love may abound with knowledge and all discernment….but for what purpose; so that they may approve and test what is excellent.
We, like them, need the ability to distinguish, to test, those things that are truly important, truly excellent so that we can establish our right priorities....but even establishing the right priorities is important not only so that we can make the right decisions, but also, as v11 says so that we can be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, for God's glory.
Paul desires that our decisions bring God glory.
The essence of successful Christian living is the renewing of our minds so that we can approve of what God's will is—that is, to recognise and put God's will into action in every situation we face. God has not given Christians a detailed set of commandments to guide them. He has given us his Spirit, who is working from within to change our hearts and minds so that our obedience to God is natural and spontaneous so that we will develop a normal pattern of discerning God's will by our transformed mind and a love informed by knowledge and discernment.
Is there a possible explanation for why God would want us to work at making wise decisions? Although it would be easier for us if God were more explicit, and believe me, as a young Christian, I would have preferred it that way, wouldn't that put us in the same position as the Jews, whose every action and decision was dictated by the constantly expanding laws of the Pharisees, and wouldn't we then just be putting on a show of obedience? Could it be that God wants to know why we want to follow His laws and precepts, not that we are capable of doing so; to know what our hearts are like, what our true intentions are, and that our love for Him can be a witness to others, for if we truly love God, would we not want this to reflect in the way we make our decisions, that we want to conform to His way of life and come to love what Christ loves?
God wants us to become mature, he wants us to tussle with our decisions because it will make us mature. Hebrews 5:14 says
“but solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Constant practice.....dear oh dear, that doesn’t sound as if making decisions is going to be an easy job, however it does say we will be trained to be able to make good decisions.
The most amazing thing to remember in all this is that Jesus remains the Good Shepherd and although like sheep we may make wrong decisions, touch the odd live wire, or fall into the occasional hole or bog He is faithful to lean down and lift us up and out. Isaiah 41:10
“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
