How to make better, godly decisions.
Some decisions in life are easy, like which yoghurt to eat, a strawberry or cherry one?
Other decisions will change the whole course of our lives, so we need to make the correct choice!
We may think that we have made so many bad decisions in our lives, so how can we improve to make better decisions?
Some ‘routes’ will shout louder than others, but they are not necessarily the best ones.
So how do we choose?
Here are some guidelines for making better decisions.
Table of Contents:
1. Make decisions by listening to our conscience
When we are making decisions, does it compromise our, or other people’s, consciences?
But remember that our conscience may not always be correct, it depends on how outside influences have distorted our conscience – see this article.
Proverbs gives us some sensible advice:
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.
Proverbs 4:14-15 NIV
Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.”
I like Dr David Jeremiah’s statement, “Your best decisions reflect your values… If I am a Christian, my every decision should be a Christian decision – what entertainment I’ll enjoy, how I’ll invest an extra hundred bucks, what I’ll do on my day off…” 1
If we keep reading the Bible, then our conscience gets sharper and more godly and we will be able to make better, godly decisions.
One question to ask ourselves is how did we arrive in this situation, was it because of our wrongdoing? Has God allowed us to experience this difficult situation?
Are we at this point of making a decision because of temptation in our lives?
2. Making decisions – stand and look
Jeremiah had some particularly good advice for making decisions (quoting what the Lord said):
Stand at the crossroads and look;
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
We will break this verse down into several sections:
The first bit of advice according to Jeremiah is to ‘look’.
Stand and look to make a better decision, so don’t rush into it.
The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 14:15-16 ESV
One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.”
Every new thing is not always good. Yes, electronic equipment should get better, but ideas and practices have a habit of changing over the years and then coming back into fashion.
We may be feeling bombarded by all the new things, new ideas, and new morals, that we feel pressured to conform.
But we need to step back and give ourselves time, so we do what feels right and not be bulldozed into it,
There is tremendous pressure to run headlong into everything these days.
No! “Stand at the crossroads and look.” Wait!
Wait patiently!
Give time to this decision.
While we look we can think things over.
We’re called to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.
Matthew 10:16 NIV
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Let’s not spend years going along pathways that don’t particularly lead anywhere.
Do not rush into things, rash decisions have a habit of biting back!
3. Making decisions: ask!
The second thing to notice in the passage is:- ‘Ask’.
Ask the Lord and a wise person which is the right way to go. Ask!
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
Proverbs 12:15 ESV
Have you noticed signposts that always give a destination or a road number, but they never show what the best way is, or what the worst way is?
The sign doesn’t tell us that if we go on this road, the car in front of us is going to have an accident!
But it is good to ask the Lord and to trust Him that you will make the right decision.
Praying about the decision helps to steer things in the right direction and enables us to hear any gentle prompts of the Holy Spirit.
Our life resembles a journey along a path with many variables.
How to feel happy on the journey.
4. Making Decisions based on the ancient path and the good way.
Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is…”
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
The Lord is saying to ask for the ancient path, so that means that not everything old is bad!
Where are the ancient paths?
The ancient paths and the good way are found in the ancient Book, the Bible:
I meditate on your ancient laws; O LORD, they comfort me.”
Psalm 119:52 NIV
Moses told the people:
So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you;
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 NIV
do not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”
5. Trust in the Lord when making decisions
If we are putting God first in our lives then we can believe and trust that in His time He will steer us in the right direction.
That does not mean we opt out of making decisions because all the choices we make can be made by trusting in God and believing that they are right.
And if we take a wrong direction we can have the confidence to know that He will make that clear to us.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
6. What to do when you’ve made a terrible decision.
When we make a wrong decision it often feels like the end of our world!
The first thing to do is to turn to the Lord and admit it.
The verse below gives us great encouragement because it tells us that everyone is weak and fails at some point, but we have a Saviour who has experienced living in this world and we will find mercy and grace when we approach Him:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God is full of mercy and if we have failed and we confess to Him, then because of His unfailing mercy He can forgive us.
But that is not all, He is the God of grace, which means He gives out love and forgiveness even when we do not deserve it!
In the times when we fail the Holy Spirit will encourage us to turn to God, but our old self life will be screaming ‘No!’
When that happens , remember this proverb:
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
Proverbs 28:13 ESV
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
Lastly, Britnee Bradshaw makes this comment:
He wants all of us, not just the pretty parts.
‘8 Ways to Make Decisions that Honor God’ By Britnee Bradshaw. Cross Walk. 2
While there are consequences to every decision we make, we don’t have to carry the guilt one day to the next.
If you feel the Holy Spirit convicting you of a bad decision you made in the past, repent and move on.
Leave your guilt at the feet of Jesus.
God’s mercy covers everything!
Paul reminds us to leave the past behind and move forward in the hope of heaven, becoming more like Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit in us.
‘Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,’ (Philippians 3:13). “
Do not be scared to make a decision because you might fail.
The Lord can change the worst of decisions to His glory, provided we turn to Him and confess to Him, and to others who have been affected or hurt by our actions.
Yes, we do have to ride out the bad fruit of our decisions, like King David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and their baby died, but even after all that, God had a plan for Solomon to be born!
He made good to come out of a bad situation!
Can we guarantee our ‘goodness’ will get us to heaven?
The things we do can pile up against us like a debt we owe God…
References and credits – open in new tabs:
‘5 Principles for Biblical Decision Making’ David Jeremiah Blog. ↩
‘8 Ways to Make Decisions that Honor God’ By Britnee Bradshaw. Cross Walk. Updated 11 April 2018. ↩