Making Wise Decisions

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

In recent times, I’ve had a major decision weighing on my heart. And through it all, God is teaching me one thing: patience.

As my husband and I continue to pray and wait on the Lord about a huge, life-changing decision (whether we should relocate), I have since heard a few sermons on the topic.

And none hit my heart as much as a sermon by the lovely Dr. Charles Stanley, who preaches with such gentleness, meekness and compassion. And so, below are some of my notes (as well as my added thoughts as I learn from the Lord in this topic) from his sermon, Making Wise Decisions.

So, how exactly do we make a wise decision?

Obviously, we need to seek God in this. He knows what is best for us and our families. He knows our past, our present, our future. And He has written our life story. Other than praying and seeking God on your decision, this is what else you can do to make a wise decision, as per Dr. Charles Stanley’s sermon:

Confess and repent of any sin

Sin clouds the heart — sin also clouds the mind. Therefore, not only should confessing and repenting of sin be a common practice in our Christian walk, but in this instance of making wise decisions, it will allow us to hear God clearly in our hearts and minds.

When we are engaging in sin, it is hard to be close to God, so repenting and confessing of sin is vital before you start praying and seeking God in a decision you are facing. Whatever sin you may be dealing with, know that you have a God who loves you and is ready to forgive you, no matter what it is. Just ask it from Him, and then repent and turn away from that sin.

Neutrality and exercising patience

When we secretly have our own desires, we may try to convince ourselves or even somehow manipulate our decision to meet those secret desires. And that can lead to making very unwise decisions and disasterous consequences in our lives.

Instead, Dr. Charles Stanley advises to get to a place of neutrality about the decision. Then you will start to truly allow God to show you, and be open to whatever He brings.

The best way to get to a place of neutrality, in my opinion, is time and trust. Give it some time: don’t rush this decision (especially if it’s not urgent) and instead, leave it to God. Our restless, impatience hearts may want to rush things and make a decision in haste. This, though, is not wise. In fact, it’s an extremely unwise way to make a decision!

If we are to make wise decisions, we need clear direction from God on what the right way or the right thing to do is. So get to a place of “I leave it all to you, whatever may happen, if it’s X or Y or Z, it’s all your will, Lord”.

Dr. Charles Stanley says it so perfectly: “Do not go ahead of God, He knows the emergencies of your life.” God knows when something is an emergency and that you need to make a decision quickly.

Some prayers can take a very long time to be answered. But rest assured that God is working in you while you wait for an answer. I know for me, I can see that while waiting on these decisions in my life, God is working on me; teaching me things and moulding me and preparing me.

Rest in the fact that His timing is always, always perfect.

Be alert to outside “pressure”

Sometimes, external, outside pressure from friends, family, and others may not be for the best. This could simply be bad advice, or one with ulterior motives, or one influenced by the enemy. So we have to be very careful with who we listen to concerning these things.

Don’t be pressured to make a decision because someone else wants an answer quickly, especially when you know God wants you to wait in this. Sometimes, well-meaning people can be impatient and also try to “rush” us.

Trust God’s timeline, and trust Him fully. Be alert to outside pressure and listen and accept their thoughts and suggestions, but still remember it’s God who ultimately will make the decision.

Persistant prayer

Prayerfully seek the Lord when making your decision. You may be praying about something for years like I have, but again, trust that He knows what He is doing. He knows you better than you know yourself, and He knows what’s best for you.

Fully trust Him when there is no evidence that He heard or listened to you. Trust that the Lord knows what He is doing, and don’t stop seeking the Lord about your decision in prayer.

Wait for the peace

Ever heard the saying “no Jesus, no peace. No peace, no Jesus”? I love that saying, because it’s true, in so many ways concerning our Christian walk.

In terms of when we seek to make a wise decision, wait for God’s peace before you make any moves. He will give you the peace, and when you have peace about the decision and feel a deep calmness about it in your heart, then you’ll know it’s the right decision and that you have your answer from God. God is not the author of confusion, nor of fear, so you will know when you have God’s peace about it.

And whatever the decision entails, we can rest in His promise to us that He will always do things for our good: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).