Choices.
Life is filled with
them. We have to make so many choices on
a daily basis. Think about the myriad of
questions you have to answer on a routine trip to the sub sandwich shop:
~
White or wheat bread?
~
Would you like that toasted?
~
What type of cheese would you like?
~
What else would you like on that?
~
Mayo or mustard?
~
Would you like any dressing?
~
Salt and Pepper?
~
Chips or pretzels?
~
What would you like to drink?
~ How
many cookies would you like?
~
Would you like to donate a dollar to this charity?
~ Do
you need anything else?
~ Is
that for here or to go?
~ Will
that be Debit or credit?
And, we have to
answer all of those questions in just a matter of seconds.
All day long, we
face rounds of decisions, questions, challenges, and moments where we must
decide and make choices.
Compounding that, we
also face the daunting task of making some life-altering decisions. Big issues come up that can and will change
the course of our lives.
We have to consider
things like:
~ Do
I take this job or not?
~
Should I stay home or go back to work?
~ Do
I marry this person?
~
Which school is best for my kids?
~
Should I homeschool? Should I send my
kids to public or private school?
~
Where should we go to church?
~
Which doctor or dentist should I use?
~
Should I stay or should I go?
~
What should I do to help my aging parents?
Is it time for a nursing home?
~
Should I go back to school? Pursue a
different career?
And, the list goes
on.
Maybe today, like a
friend who in-boxed me this morning, you find yourself torn – pulled between
two good choices.
You want to make
the right decision.
You really desire
to do the best thing.
But, how?
How do you know
what is best?
I want to suggest FIVE little tests you can give yourself when faced with making a difficult
choice. These are not all encompassing,
but they are tried and tested.
1) TAKE THE WORD TEST – Get in God’s Word.
As you are reading, studying, in church, listening, and open – what is
God showing you through His Word?
~ This
is not the open and point to any verse method.
The Bible is not some sort of Ouija Board.
~
But, as you are reading your devotions, as you are reading the Word, as you are
hearing the Word in church – what is God showing you?
~ If
you haven’t heard from Him yet, invite Him to speak to you through His Word.
Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and
I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could
never figure out on your own.”
Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is
like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.”
2) TAKE THE SPOUSE TEST – Ask your spouse (dearest friend) to give you their “take”
on your decision.
~ Invite the person who knows you best and
loves you most to share their perspective on this choice.
~ Be prepared to really listen to them.
~ Be open to what they may have to say –
even if you don’t completely agree. (Remember, this person loves you and knows you well!)
3) TAKE THE WISE COUNSEL TEST – Seek out the advice of at least one wise and godly
friend besides your spouse or best friend.
~ Allow this person to share their
perspective and to pray with you and for you.
~ There is great protection and wisdom in
seeking out wise counsel.
Proverbs 1:5 – “A wise man will hear and increase in
learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.”
Proverbs 15:22 – “Plans fall apart without proper advice; but with the right
guidance, they come together nicely.”
4) TAKE THE PEACE TEST
~ Are you at peace with this decision?
~ Is there calm in your heart over doing
this?
~ Are you sleeping peacefully at night?
~ Is there a calm assurance in your heart
over this choice?
~ Is God’s peace guarding your heart and
mind over this decision?
Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
5) TAKE THE HONEST BEFORE GOD TEST – usually when I talk to people, I find that they already
KNOW deep in their hearts which way they are supposed to go.
~ After you’ve prayed over, thought over,
worried over, talked over, and prayed some more over a decision, you will usually
know what you are supposed to do.
~ So, what is it?
~ Deep in the recesses of your inmost being
– what are you sensing God wants you to do?
~ If you were standing before God right
now, what is it you honestly sense He would tell you to do?
~ It should line up well with the Word,
with your counsel, and with your peace.
Once you’ve taken all of these “tests,” you
ought to begin to have some clarity.
There should be a direction for you to
head.
So, go there. Start down that pathway, and ask God to lead
you further.
In
Isaiah 30:21, the prophet tells the people, “You will hear your
Teacher’s voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or
the left. It will say, ‘Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it.’”
For
most of us, we usually KNOW the decision long before we make it. We just need to start walking – taking one
step in the direction we believe God is leading us.
A wise
professor and counselor of mine once told me this:
“Following God is much like
walking in the dark with a very small flashlight. You can’t see very far down the path, so you take
your time and take one small step at a time.
You follow slowly as you can clearly see using His light. Eventually, you’ll make it down the path –
one step at a time.”
So,
pray, get in the Bible, get some wise counsel, be honest about what you know
God is showing you, and starting walking down the path one step at a time.
Likely,
you already know what you are supposed to do.
So, go ahead and do it!
Take a little
step in that direction today…
Blessings
as you walk,
Melanie
