Decisions that honor God

It is only wise for me to weigh my options and to research a matter thoroughly before making an important decision. Otherwise I risk making a decision that can have many negative repercussions affecting me and those around me. A single decision can alter the course of my life and the normal flow of things. Decisions that are time-sensitive are the worst because there is a limit to the amount of time I have to carefully consider all possible outcomes.  Making decisions under stressful situations can be a true test of character and experience for me.  So, it is generally a good and responsible thing for me to be able to combine my knowledge, experience and strength towards making healthy decisions.  I have to give myself a ‘pat on the back’ for taking this kind of charge over my life.

However, there is yet another element which I find to be crucial in the decision-making process, and in my opinion it is perhaps the most exciting and challenging at the same time.  It is the element of faith.

Faith according to dictionary.com is defined as belief that is not based on proof. The New International Version of the Bible states in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. The reality is that there is always a “risk” factor in making decisions. I cannot always expect every single outcome to be positive and productive. I win some and I lose some. That’s life.

In my up-bringing, I was taught to make sure that God was directing me in my decisions, otherwise I would be in disobedience and nothing would prosper in my life. I was taught to make sure that God gave me clear instructions for everything. So imagine me waiting around for God to tell me who I should date, what school should I attend, or what I should do with my life.

In theory, I understand these teachings and the reason for them. My former teachers truly meant well, but failed to explain things in a way that was complete or well-balanced and in a matter that encouraged me to build a relationship with God based on trust and sincerity.

So in my own journey, I have learned that there will be times when I’ll never know what the correct thing to “do” is until I take a step of faith. My past has taught me that my reasoning for wanting to know God’s will for my life was to avoid making mistakes.  Imagine if I expect God to make every single decision for me, how will I ever learn to take responsibility for my actions or the lack thereof? How will I ever learn to truly trust Him? It would be very easy for me to point my finger up towards heaven when things don’t work out in my life and say “well, God wanted it this way, so it is His responsibility, not mine.”

The Bible verse that really drives this home for me is found in Hebrews 11: 6. It says that without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.