Articles
Three Tools to Help in Making Godly Decisions - Part 1
God has created us with the ability to make choices in life. The Bible speaks in multiple places about our ability to make choices. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (NKJV). Joshua 24:15 says, “And if it sees evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (NKJV). 2 Samuel 24:12 and 1 Chronicles 21:10-11 says, “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you”’” (NKJV). Luke 10:42 says, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (NKJV). Acts 15:40, “But Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God” (NKJV). Each and every day we are faced with the need to make many different decisions. Some of the decisions we make are rather simple and routine. These decisions we often make without even giving much thought to it. Other decisions are more complex and fall into a category of decisions we don’t have to make very often. When we encounter these “big” decisions (as we might sometimes refer to them), we give more conscious effort to making a proper decision. Let’s examine some tools which we have to help us in making godly decisions!
Prayer is a tool we have when we are needing to make a godly decision. Making an important decision requires wisdom. The source of wisdom is God (Proverbs 2:6). James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (NKJV). Sadly, we sometimes fail to pray before making decisions whether they seem “big” or “small” to us. Yet prayer needs to be a big part of our lives as Christians (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12).
Jesus is a great example of praying before making a big decision. Luke 6:12-16 tells about Jesus selecting the twelve apostles. The decision of who to select for this important task would obviously be a “big” decision. Notice what Jesus does prior to making this decision. Verse 12 says, “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (NKJV). If Jesus spends time in prayer to God before making an important decision, certainly we should as well.
The early Christians also left us an example of praying to God before making important decisions. In Acts 1, Peter led the disciples in finding whom God had selected as a replacement for Judas. In the process of determining whom God had selected they prayed (Acts 1:24-25). When Paul and Barnabas went back through the areas where they had spread the gospel to strengthen the brethren and appoint elders, notice what the text says they did in Acts 14:23, “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (NKJV). They were engaged in some important decisions and important work and felt it was important to spend time in prayer to God during this time.
Let’s not forget to pray when we are making important decisions in our lives! Let’s strive always to make decisions which would be pleasing to God and helpful for the spread of the gospel!
