Making Wise Decisions
May 7th, 2008
How can Christians make God-honoring decisions?
Decision-making can be a daunting task for anyone, but Christians have the unique advantage of making decisions that are informed by God’s Word. To do so, there are at least three factors to consider.
First, you must obey the moral will of God as it is revealed in Scripture. If Scripture prohibits the action in question, your decision is easy: don’t do it.
Likewise, if one of the options in your choice causes you to neglect something God specifically commands you to do, you are required to make the choice that will allow you to fulfill your biblical obligation. For example, if God requires you to be an active part of a local church — Hebrews 10:25 indicates that He does — any decision that prohibits you from that is against God’s revealed will. In order to uphold God’s moral will in your decision making, ask yourself, “What does God’s Word say about it?” If it says anything, obey that (1 John 5:3). If it says nothing, you have freedom and do not need to fear missing God’s will or sinning against Him (Romans 14:2-6, 22).
Second, good decision-making requires that you exercise biblical wisdom. Such wisdom comes from a diligent study of God’s Word, coupled with God’s generous provision. James encourages those who lack wisdom to “ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). To make wise decisions, you need to gather necessary information, consider all the options carefully, seek godly counsel, and then choose the option that is most sensible (Proverbs 2:1-11).
Finally, you need to consider your own desire. If the Bible is silent about your decision, and if one choice is not clearly wiser than the other, then do what you want. You have the freedom to do so, and God sovereignly works out His plan through your desires (Psalm 37:4; Philippians 2:13).
The above process presupposes that you are submitted to Christ and filled with the Spirit. Otherwise you won’t be able to make biblical decisions, as sin blinds your ability to understand and apply God’s Word to your life. However, if you do have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and are walking in the Spirit — as opposed to the flesh — you are free to make decisions so long as they don’t violate God’s revealed (moral) will. You shouldn’t be concerned that your decisions will somehow derail God’s sovereign will for you life, because He routinely works through your decisions to accomplish what He purposes.
For more on decision-making and the will of God, see this transcript from Grace to You.
“Finally, you need to consider your own desire. If the Bible is silent about your decision, and if one choice is not clearly wiser than the other, then do what you want. You have the freedom to do so, and God sovereignly works out His plan through your desires (Psalm 37:4; Philippians 2:13).”
This is a truly powerful statement! In my experience, we often forget that we live in a huge world with infinite choices before us, and that only a very few things are prohibited by God. All other things can be just fine, and He promises to bless us in them.
Here is a suggestion for something to cover that runs along these same lines:
Do a series of articles about God’s will. For example- God’s sovreign will; God’s declarative will; and God’s desirative will (I realize these are artificial catagories but you get the picture). I think people often read a passage from the epistle of peter and try to say that God’s sovereign will for election doesn’t make sense. I know everyone is busy but it could be a good topic of discussion since people we shepherd may think that the sovereignty of God is the same as manifest destiny.
If I may be so blunt to ask, what do you do if there are no churches in your area that are ‘true’? I mean word/faith, to hyper-arminian, to you can lose your salvation one day and get it back the next. Then what????
Paul,
First, make sure that you are not measuring these churches by secondary (or tertiary) categories. In other words, some doctrines are essential to salvation and therefore must be present for a church to be “true” (i.e., the deity and humanity of Christ, the inspiration of Scripture, the doctrine of the Trinity, justification by grace throgh faith alone, etc.). Dr. Al Moher wrote a good article on this called THEOLOGICAL TRIAGE which is helpful along these lines.
Ultimately, you have to use biblical wisdom. So, would any of these churches, no matter how flawed, qualify as genuinely Christian, and would attending them allow you to fulfill your biblical obligations to fellowship with a church body? If so, go and graciously attempt to improve them biblically.
Second, suppose there are no genuine (albeit flawed) churches in your town. You still have a couple of options: 1) Start a new church with some other like-minded believers. 2) Drive to a good church (even an hour’s drive on Sunday might be worth it and could lead to their material support of option 1). 3) Move closer to a good church. Obviously, the last option is much more invloved, but should seriously be considered, especially if you have a family.
I hope this helps. I sympathize with your challenge, but, don’t give up. Perhaps God will use you to correct this problem in your town.
Blessings,
Steve Lamm
Thank you Steve. We have thought of moving. Gas is so expensive and the closest ‘true’ church is well over an hour away. Its hard to be involved like we want to be in a church when we live this far from one. Basically the ’social gospel’ is what these churches around us have. Growth spiritually is almost nill with them. Its sad. Thank you again for the advise.
Blessings,
Paul
I rarely find that I am able to make a life decision that: (a) does not impact those close to me, and (b) does not invite the strong opinion of those I am called to honor & obey (e.g., parents).
It’s one thing if those close to you or those who have “authority” over you (even if you’re no longer dependent on them & living under their roof) are just offering their counsel, but it’s another thing if they present their counsel as command (at least, in the bigger life decisions).
If that’s the case, & if what they are “commanding” is not a moral issue, should my “desires” be put aside every time to honor & obey them? Is this to always be the case with my parents until I am married?
Many will move for a job, but not a church, but I’m beginning to think that Christians can be doing themselves a great disservice by not moving closer to the church to be more actively involved in it, for the benefit of their own sanctification.
Steven / Paul,
“3) Move closer to a good church. Obviously, the last option is much more invloved, but should seriously be considered, especially if you have a family.”
This is something people should be more willing to consider. There are a number of reasons why people decide to move. Some move to be closer to work, some to find a nicer house, a family down the road from us is moving to be in a neighborhood with more children the age of their kids. I have yet to meet someone who said, “I moved to be closer to such and such church.”
I believe church should be the “second center” of a Christian’s social life. Family should be the primary source of our socialization, church should be second. Work third. There are legitimate reasons why people must live some ways from church, but I think we should be more focused on trying to live close to our churches.
This is easy for me to say. I am a pastor living in a parsonage that shares a parking lot with the church. It is harder for other families already settled in a home, but it is something worth considering nonetheless.
I’m not particularly fond of Josh Harris’s book “Stop Dating the Church” but he offers this same advice in that book. Of all the reasons that a person might decide it is time to move, he should have “being close to church” high up on his list. Church is important. It needs to rank very high in our list of priorities, not just something we tack on from time to time. Unfortunately, many churchgoers simply tack it on when convenient. But how much are we willing to sacrifice/give/inconvenience ourselves in order to show how important the body of Christ is to us? Jesus died for the body. What will we do?
In our area, true churches are “dropping like flies” to the apostasy of unity over doctrine. Emergent books have stolen the minds of our leadership. “Anything” is acceptable to teach as long as it is the latest publication. It is all so very grieving. In God’s grace, I have found a faithful remnant of lovers of truth I consider to be the church I serve. Devotion to people instead of church programs allows us to grow spiritually and stand strong together. We tithe, we have our “jobs” at our church, we keep our tongues still as much as we can concerning irrational, irresponsible decisions on matters that aren’t essential doctrine. There is a constant barrage of falsehood from the pulpit that leaves me feeling like I must be the pickyest pest ever. And then I pray with the others who also hold fast to truth, and we praise God when we can snatch a person from the fire! I’m growing weary, but we are commanded not to do that! Thank You Lord for this website! We all can stay faithful in His strength!
Lisa, You just said what all the ‘churches’ around us are doing too. Its awful. We never thought it would happen in our day that we’d see this! The ones that were ‘true’ are closing their doors. We have thought many times of moving and even tried to sell our place a couple of times to move closer to a real church, (not perfect), but true to the doctrine and teaching it, but real estate is not booming. So we drive when we can over an hour away. It is frustrating.
Could someone answer the question for *? This same question has come up several times in Reformed Churches where parents are making all the life decisions for their 20 year olds living out of the home. What does this look like biblically? Do you not agreed there has to be a transition from command to advisory role? How then will our young adults learn to make biblical decisions if they are told what to decide rather than guided to choose? As older adults, we have to believe that after infusing God’s Word into the young people, they then need to correctly apply it to their lives.
How can we better teach them to honor and yet disagree with their parents? As a parent, I’d love hear your counsel to this young person and would the reply be different if it were to a male or female?
The tone of this question from the young adult was incredibly respectful. They seem to earnestly seek a biblical answer. Please respond to them (us).
I CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH LISA AND PAUL. I AM TRULY ASHAMED TO SAY THAT I HAVE NOT ATTENDED A CHURCH ON A REGULAR BASES IN ABOUT
2 1/2 YEARS. IM TRYING HARD NOT TO GIVE UP BUT SOMETIMES I GET
VERY DISCOURAGED AND AS LISA SAID WEARY BECAUSE MY DESIRE IS
TO GO. IT SEEMS NOONE IS TRUE TO DOCTORINE. I CAN’T EVEN MAKE
MYSELF GET UP AND START LOOKING BECAUSE I HAVE NO EARTHLY
IDEA WHERE TO START. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME THAT THE LORD WILL
LEAD ME .
True doctrine is absolutely essential for a healthy, growing body. However, I am also seeing quite a bit of finger-pointing happening within the church over non-essential issues because one person or another feels that such things may be a “slippery slope” and we are to abstain from them. In Christ, we have the freedom to listen to non-Christian music or to see R-rated movies, but there are many who are ready to condemn or judge the spirituality of another person simply because they themselves would not do such things, as those activities would cause them to honor Christ less. If that is true for them, then they should absolutely abstain from those things, but don’t automatically think that those things are stumbling blocks for everyone else! Christ is PARAMOUNT, Christ is our focus … not a check list of do’s and don’ts. Holdng one another accountable does not mean poking a finger into their chest and pointing out how much they have fallen. It doesn’t mean making things up that are not expressly forbidden in Scripture.
We have FREEDOM in Christ — FREEDOM to walk in obedience and FREEDOM to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in our lives, to change the way we think and act … not by the action of some Pharissee saying, “Thank God I am not like that man, a sinner!”
Dave,
I would have to disagree with you. “Christian Liberty” is being free
from the bondage of sin. God didn’t give us “FREEDOM” to listen to Music or watch R-rated movies that blaspheme the name of our God, glorifies drugs, violence, immorality, ect. A true Christian will not
indulge in these sinful activities.
To answer * ’s question, it is commanded by scripture that we obey our Parents. The ONLY exception is if they ask us to do something contrary to scripture. I just turned 21 and I am VERY thankful that
my parents have kept me from many bad influences. (friends, music, movies, ect) I would have to admit that it didn’t always make sense.