Our life is, in many ways, a result of the decisions we have made. While no one can deny the fact that circumstances affect our lives, nothing affects our destiny as much as the decisions we ourselves are making on a daily basis.
We want to make good decisions, we want do the “right thing”. Yet knowing what is the good decision is not always very clear.
I just heard a good short devotional by Ray Johnston on finding God’s will in day-to-day situations.
Here are the 4 specific ways to get clarity on a decision you are about to make:
- What does the Bible say about this? Is the Bible OK with it?
- Have I prayed about it? What have I been prompted while praying about it?
- Counsel from other people I trust. How does your spouse, or your God-honoring friends feel about it?
- Circumstances. Do you experience circumstances that indicate an open or a close door?
If all these 4 questions are answered in a positive way, you can be confident about the decision you are about to make that it is a wise one. If at least one of these questions is answered negatively, you should probably take that into account and pass on your decision.
Personally, I think #1 criteria rules out a lot of assumptions and wrong decisions. Yet, somehow we think that perhaps if we pray about it, or if we ask someone else for advice, they’ll give me the “green light” I need in order to get my way, my agenda. No interpretation, revelation or advice should ever contradict the proven Word of God.