Making the Right Decisions by Chris Reed

By Chris Reed

So many times in speaking with people, I hear a very common theme of longing to be in the perfect will of God, but far less frequently do I hear of people having complete clarity on what the Lord would have them to do with whatever prospective options lie in front of them. So often, the will of God over any situation seems so mystical and encrypted, and having clarity can be difficult. With so many voices speaking - logic, reasoning, societal influences, opinions of family members, coworkers, and friends, etc. - choosing the right path can sometimes feel like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. I want to share with you briefly a few quick and easy tests to help you make the right decision. Would you be willing to try three easy steps to determine their impact? Let's begin:


 


First, follow peace. Sounds simple enough, right? Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Additionally, Jesus said in John 16:33 that "These things have I spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace."  Also, Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11 tell us to "seek peace and pursue it." Everyone has engrained deep within an innate compass that dictates peace and apprehension. God's word tells us to seek peace - and even promises that He will keep us in peace and will reveal (speak) things to us so that we can have peace. Jesus was called the Prince of Peace, so naturally, we can deduct that His Kingdom will be that of peace. We can tell from this that seeking after peace and allowing His peace to rule in our hearts will always lead us toward the Kingdom of God, and thus, the right decision.


 


Where do you Find Favor?


 


Secondly, stay within the realm of where you find favor with God and man. Psalm 5:12 in the NKJV articulates this wonderfully: "For you, LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor will you compass him as with a shield." When Elijah's favor was gone at the Brook of Cherith, along with the provision, and he heard the word of the Lord and followed God's favor to Zarephath, where he saw miraculous provision. Favor is defined as the state of being held in high regard or as something done out of goodwill. Essentially, then, we can see that when faced with a decision, we should see where we have favor, and align ourselves accordingly.


 


Along with following peace and favor, I would also suggest being single-minded and not continually jump back and forth between two (or more) options. James 1:5-8 promises that we can ask God and He will give us wisdom, but goes on to say that if we are double-minded, we are unstable, and should expect to receive NOTHING from the Lord. Ask the Lord for wisdom, seek peace, and believe you have received your answer when you pray. Then, go on about your day and EXPECT to get the wisdom to make the right decisions, and follow the path of peace and favor! I pray that everyone reading this and being faced with difficult decisions to make, no matter how large or small, would ask, believe, and receive Your wisdom for the situation, then would follow peace and favor each step of the way. May each of you have ears to hear, eyes to see, and wisdom to discern every situation you find yourself in.


 


Chris Reed

www.grainsoftruth.blogspot.com

crr.reed@gmail.com

 

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