When one of our daughters was young, she had a hard time making decisions.
I remember my mom taking her to the store and telling her she could choose one thing for my mom to buy her. The whole process took a long time, but she’d finally narrow it down to two options.
She’d put one in each hand and put her hands behind her back. Then she’d ask someone to choose a hand. Supposedly, that would be the item to buy.
However, sometimes the outcome wasn’t what she wanted, and we’d have to repeat the exercise before she made her final choice!
As adults, we face a lot bigger decisions than what toy to buy. There are potential moves, job changes, relationship issues, family matters, church choices, and many more.
Sometimes it’s hard to get clear direction about a decision or to have peace regarding which alternative to choose. So what does it mean to have peace? What I’m talking about in this case is a settledness about moving forward or going in a certain direction. It’s the ability to set aside worry and fear and faithfully step into the future.
Here are five things we can do as we seek to have peace about a decision we need to make.
1. Pray about your decision.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7
You can’t get much clearer instruction than this verse! Our initial response to decision-making is often worry. What should I do? What if I make the wrong choice? How will my decision affect my family or my future?
Release the anxiety by taking it to God in prayer. It’s probably not a one-and-done, but a daily, ongoing pursuit of his guidance. Thank him that he is sovereign, that he knows all things, and that he has the wisdom you need for this decision.
Ask him to give you clear direction, to open or close doors, and to give you that peace that is beyond understanding.
2. Look in the Bible for principles that apply to your decision.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. ~Psalm 119:66
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. ~Psalm 119:130
Ask God to lead you to Scripture passages that can teach you and encourage you in your specific situation. Use a good concordance to find verses that deal with trusting God. Read stories about how he directed people in the Bible.
Once you’ve found applicable Bible principles, meditate on those verses. Use them in your prayers to God.
3. Seek Godly advice from wise counselors.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. ~Proverbs 12:15
Set up a time to meet with your pastor or another Godly person(s) whose judgment you trust. Additionally, read books by wise Christian authors related to discerning God’s leading or following his will. You could also listen to sermons by other trusted pastors who’ve preached on topics related to this.
4. Be willing to wait for peace if the decision is not time-sensitive.
Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. ~Psalm 25:4-5
Most decisions have some kind of time frame on them, but as much as possible, don’t rush to a decision. Wait until you have peace. The Bible has many verses that talk about waiting on the Lord.
Waiting, however, doesn’t mean inactivity! Continue to pray, meditate, and be alert to however God may be working in your life.
However, if the time comes when you have to make a decision, move on to number five.
5. Make the best decision you can based on the information you have and trust the Lord to guide you from there.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6
Acknowledge God in your decision-making. Let your heart’s desire be to honor Him. Then make your decision and trust that God will direct you.
Whether through circumstances or certain people he places in your life, he has the ability to work it all out. If we’re seeking to follow God, we’re not going to derail his plan for us. He’s greater than any bad decisions we may make.
And a final note for married people. Do all that you can to come to an agreement on big decisions. Ask God to unite your hearts and give you a shared vision for what needs to be done.
Whatever decision lies ahead of you in the coming months, I trust that you’ll find God’s direction and feel His peace.
Related posts:
- 8 Tips on Making Decisions About Your Child’s Future
- 5 Things to Know About God’s Plan for Your Life
- 7 Helpful Tips for Navigating a Season of Change
Thankfully, we don’t have any big decisions coming up anytime soon — at least, that I know of. 😊 But your advice is how I try to make decisions.
Like you, I don’t think we’re facing any big decisions soon, although you never know 🙂
I recently found peace in a “small” decision, which was what prompted this post. Then I just finished reading a book, The Prayer Life by Andrew Murray, that gave me real encouragement on the first point in this post which is praying about our decisions. Learning to focus on prayer has been an ongoing theme in my life over the last several years, so I certainly hope I’m growing in that area!
So many of my most favorite verses here! Thank you for all of this!