How To Make A Good Decision by Pastor Dwight

Have I made some bad decisions - lots of them. If you aren't afraid to decide you will make mistakes. But our goal is to walk more in the Spirit of Christ and make better decisions that please Him and bring Him glory.

Also, try not to waste time worrying or trying to figure what what coulda, woulda, shoulda been if I only hada...

"Decision making is the hardest work we do" so don't be lazy. Here are some things that may help you.

First, consider Nine Buoys based on Gary Cake's book, Understanding Your Personal Prophecy: How to evaluate, judge, interpret and apply personal prophecy

1. That your decision does not violate God's written Word (Ps 119:105) especially when revelation comes to you as a specific application (Greek word rhema in Mt 4:4; Eph 6:17).

2. That your choice does not violate what you hear and obey God's voice (Jn 10:2, 16; Rom 8:14).

3.You have the most discipline and desire when what you do matches your God-given motivation: heart's passion, vision or mission (although we can't always get to do what we want so this is only one buoy in the decision making process).

4. You have the most grace when you use your best giftings, training and life experiences (including what you received from your parents and what works in your family).

5. Apply prophetic words you have received from others (see Gary Cake's book on how to evaluate and apply them).

6. Counsel with and authorities in your life (parents, pastor and others in authority).

7. Maintain peace and the fruit of the Spirit even if the decision is difficult.

8. Ask for and look for confirmation in circumstances.

9. Maintain unity with others involved and integrity with other prior commitments you have made (like toward your employer or team members).

10. Look for the "No wake" principle (the absence of chaos and confusion around you).

Second consider making good decisions based on principles of St Ignatius.

A. Learn to discern the spirits by practicing the daily examine of your thoughts, feelings and conscience.Am I matching up with the following:

1. Seeking to know, love and bring glory to Christ as the end?

2. Ordering decisions in a way that separates the means (money, marriage, job, college etc from that primary end of knowing, loving and pleasing God?

3. Becoming free from negative influences that may come from the world, our culture, wrong religious beliefs, or even familiarity of family and friends who knowingly or unknowingly may try to manipulate or control

B. Be aware of these three states of mind and emotion

1. Do I have a clear and persistent direction from God (Paul's Damascus Road experience)

2. If I do not have consistent emotion and sense of direction about which decision to make I continue to ask God to let me feel as He does about each decision.

3. In the absence of clear direction or sense of what pleases God I list the benefits and problems of each choice to help me weigh the outcomes.

C. Three future settings to also consider:

1. What advice would I give someone who came to for counsel with this decision?

2. How do I imagine I will feel about this decision at the end of my life

3. How do I imagine I will feel about this decision when standing before Christ?



I hope this helps.

Love you all, PD