Every day we make hundreds of decisions… probably thousands. Many decisions we make we are not particularly aware of! But, some decisions are weighty. Let’s talk about how to make tough decisions in the light of God’s will.
Let’s talk about decisions that keep us up at night. Some are life-threatening, or life-changing and those kinds of decisions are scary and hard!
Today I’m writing this post for myself as much as I am writing for you! Bobby and I are weighed down with a very tough decision. Nothing life-threatening, but certainly life changing.
And we want to be in God’s will and make a wise decision. We want understanding and discernment! For us, being out of the will of God is not an option we are even considering!
First, let me say that all decisions should be made in light of God’s word. The bible should be the plumbline by which our lives are measured. But, there are some decisions that get muddled up with emotions and options and plain indecisiveness! Here are 5 steps to take when making those tough decisions…
PRAY
Have a conversation with God. He already knows what you want and what the outcome will be. God knows what is best for your life. He is Omniscient. He is ALL KNOWING. He sees history past, present, and future all at once.
I like to think of God knowing all of history and every single detail like the number of hairs on our head (Matt 10:20, Luke 12:7) as if He has a panoramic view of all things. Nothing is hidden!
Then why does God want us to pray if he already knows?
Because He wants to have a close and meaningful relationship with us. He knows, but WE don’t! He wants us to learn and grow in Him and that means making decisions that are according to His word and will. In doing so, we glorify God and magnify (make big) God in our lives.
GET YOUR HEART RIGHT
Get your heart (mind, will, emotion and intellect) in such a state that it has no will of its own.
Not an easy thing to do! But 9/10 of the difficulty in making a tough decision is overcoming our own strong wills! We need to make God’s will for our lives… ours!
This is often times a battle. If most of us were truly honest we can confess that we want our own way. Spend time in God’s Word and in prayer asking God to make His will YOUR’S.
So many times we try to see “signs” and have “feelings” that bend towards our own preferences. But, really the best thing for us is always God’s will!
FEELING ARE DECEPTIVE
And speaking of “feelings”, they can be so deceiving! Do not make a decision out of feelings or “impressions”. The longer we walk with God the better we are at discerning God’s will for our lives.
Make decisions based on the word of God.
A sure way to know that something is NOT the will of God is that is DOES NOT align with His word!
If what we feel or think God is telling us goes against the Word of God then we can be SURE that it is not God’s will and not from God.
BE VERY CAREFUL to base any decision of God’s word!
SEEK GOD’S COUNSEL THROUGH HIS WORD
Seek the Spirit of God through connecting with the Word of God! Simply, talk to God and ask Him to show you His will and read your Bible. These things must be connected to making a wise and godly decision.
God will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ask you to make a decision that goes against His word… NEVER!!!!
Romans 1:2 says…
AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, THAT WHICH IS GOOD AN ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.
In other words, God is saying do not identify with the ungodliness and desires of what we see around you. Doing so is a sure way to make wrong decisions!
But be transformed, a process of renewing that happens by the power of God. It is a change of heart (your thoughts, your will, and your intellect).
And here’s how to test whether or not something is in God’s will. Test it! Put what you think you are hearing from God up against the Word of God to see if your thoughts align with God’s word.
This is so important because you want to know God’s will for your decision and life.
We want to make decisions that are good in God’s eyes. Decisions that are acceptable and well-pleasing to God, knowing these godly decisions will grow us up to be spiritually and intellectually mature.
We want our thoughts, will and intellect to be exactly like our Father’s!
SEEK GODLY COUNSEL AND PRAYER PARTNERS
Being a part of the body of Christ means we have an army of prayer partners and warriors who will lovingly storm the Throne of Grace on our behalf.
Don’t let our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ sit idle when they can be helping you the best way possible.
Ask them to join you in prayer!
Also seek the godly wisdom of your pastors, elders and other wise people in your church!
LOOK FOR THE FINGERPRINTS OF GOD
Lastly, after we have done all the above, take into account Providential circumstances. I say this with a warning! Make sure you have earnestly prayed, gotten your heart into a state that it has no will of it’s own to the best of your ability. Make very sure you have discounted “feelings” and “impressions” and have sought the Spirit of God through His Word.
God’s word says…
THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS AND DESPERATELY WICKED. WHO CAN KNOW IT? Jere. 17:9
Our heart… mind, will, emotion and intellect… is the most crooked and incurable sick-with-wickedness thing in the whole world! It is so full of pride and self seeking that there is really no way to know the depths of it’s sickness.
Yes, that IS how bad our heart’s really are! Don’t you see why we need to be transformed?
Once we have totally handed our hearts over to God’s will we can then look for God’s working in our lives. That is what Providential circumstances are. Ways we can see God showing us his will in a tangible way.
PRAISE GOD IN ALL THINGS
This is not the easy way to make a tough decision, is it? But is is the GODLY way!
God does not guarantee that our answer will be swift either. But God is faithful. So, we need to be faithful. Keep on praying and seeking and reading the Bible and looking for God’s answer without letting our will’s muck up the whole thing!
When you finally make a godly decision, remember to praise and thank God! And don’t fall into the pit of doubt. Believe God and nothing else!
Thank Him, praise Him, glorify Him! He loves you! Show your love and appreciation to Him.
Make what God has done for you part of your testimony, the sharing of proof, to your sphere of influence! Speak of the goodness, grace, teaching and leading of the Lord!
I hope this will help you make those tough decisions we all face in life with confidence that God will show you the right way to go!
May we be blessed and matured and give glory to God through all of our tough decisions in our lives!
This week’s memorization verse:
AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, THAT WHICH IS GOOD AN ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.
Have a blessed Sunday!
A wonderful reminder of how to soberly address our life decisions. It is never easy and without God’s word and guidance we rarely succeed to be pleased with the result. In our lives, one thing we have learned; we must surrender all of our lives to God and His purpose for them . Then He will direct our path and most importantly, give us His peace in our decisions. Thank you for another wonderful letter.
Thanks for sharing this spot-on biblical advice, Yvonne! Praying for you and Bob as you go through this decision-making process. Hugs, and excited to see what our Lord has planned for you!
This was spot on with something we have been mulling over between the two of us. I was not feeling at peace about it at all and have been praying over it. Yesterday we received our answer and I was so thankful !
Loved todays topic. Thank YOU for sharing!!! May God continue to bless you!
Love in Christ,
Darlene
Thank you for your words today…have been a great blessing. My husband and I are thinking about moving closer to our son in NH…..have been praying for direction as to whether or not this is a good decision. We love our home here, and have been here for 32 years…the issue is that we are getting older, and our home and land are becoming hard for us to care for. Need God’s guidance.
We will probably all face your issue if we are blessed to live long enough! I’m praying for everyone facing a tough decision who read this post.
Yvonne, what a wonderful, right-on-time message! Thank you so much for all of the time and wisdom you put into each and every Sunday message–it is so appreciated! May the Lord bless you and Bobby with wisdom and peace as you seek His will on your decision at hand… <3
Yvonne,
Your message hit home! I am a Realtor, with a degree in design. I have been so frustrated with my Real Estate. I am very spiritual and pray constantly. I am so blessed , and have a tremendous husband who is extremely supportive!
I just want clarification. I have a great client base, but, this market is killing me. My son told me me mom, if you left Real Estate today, you would be so happy. Do your art and be creative!
Thank you Yvonne! I love your blog!
Thanks, Laura! May God bless you and may you hear from HIM!
Thank you, Yvonne, for this excellent post. A verse that I also use when seeking the Lord’s direction is Isaiah 30:21 New International Version (NIV)
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Oh, God’s perfect verse, Lois! Thank you!
Yvonne-
This was a wonderful, thought-provoking post. Thank you!!
Yvonne, my heart was knit with yours. We are in the final stages of what we hope will be our last move before Heaven. It has been a ton of work, emotion and energy, but we have entrusted this to the God we serve and know He has made a way. Thank you for making your blog a haven of both beauty for the eyes and spirit. May you have His peace and be content in His will as your pathway is made clear. Hugs from NC
Yvonne, please know that you have many people who will be praying for God to soon reveal His will to you and Bobby. We also pray for His peace, and yes, even true joy, as you all face this new adventure! Blessings!
Thank you so much Vicki!
Yvonne, this is such good solid advice and I’m saving it to use for an upcoming change that I will be making in my life. Your spiritual messages are so beautiful. Peace and Joy
During these last six months, I can personally attest to the truths you’ve scribed here! Just yesterday we turned over the keys to our big house and landscape garden, following months of work in the decision to ultimately choose a simpler lifestyle in urban condo living. We both knew it was right this time, after several false feelings while looking at properties over the previous several years. I’ll keep you in my prayers that you are led to His will and what’s right for you & Bobbie, Yvonne.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness. I’ve been a Christian for just over 40 years and still am so blessed when God speaks to me through others. I so needed the reminder of this. I’m not making a huge decision but, have many chronic health issues , worsened by complications from cancer four years ago. I’m tired of constant pain and struggles and loss of independence. For the first time ever, I’ve been angry at God and feeling very sorry for myself. I know I will deal with it eventually, but your post is a wonderful guidance and reminder of what I need to do. Even though strangers, I relate to you in many ways. I love decorating (although that’s been on hold for the last few years but I have loads of ideas and plans). I love your recipes and I began Weight Watchers , here in Australia, last January. Blessings for your decision-making.
Rhonda, although a blessing this life is always a struggle of one sort or another. God bless you!
Thank you Yvonne for writing this blog on Sunday. I thank God everyday and show my love and appreciation to Him for giving me my wonderful husband and my three dogs. It is very funny to write to Yvonne from Yvonne. Thanks again!
Not many of us around, Yvonne!
Thank you for this very special post today. Another passage comes to mind when we are praying for God’s guidance and that is…Be still and know that I am God. After we pray…we must be still…quiet…and listen for His answer. Sometimes we are so desperate…we pray and pray, but we really don’t stop to listen for that answer.
Such great advice, Judy!
Interesting how when you need His word most, you are led to it. I happened upon your site from Sucre Farine. Who would have known I would find this when I’m in the midst of a struggle. :o) Thank you for sharing.
Praying for you Karen!
Hi Yvonne
I have been a longtime reader but never commented. This message is just what I needed today. My family is facing a big decision, and my husband and I just can’t seem to find any peace with it, so this is a good reminder about how to find that peace. The heart is definitely hard to ignore, and I often confuse what it is telling me with what God is telling me, so hard to tell the difference some times! Not to mention lots of well meaning advice from others being thrown in the mix!
Thank you, your blog is a blessing to me every time I read it!
Dionne
Praying for your decision, Dionne
Thank you so much for this ever-so-timely message. I am dealing with life decisions now as my husband has terminal cancer and we now have him enrolled in home hospice. There are upcoming decisions that I fear so much – and worry about making the wrong decisions. I do pray and will continue to pray that God will guide me through this difficult journey. I needed to read your post tonight. It has had such a calming effect on me. I know that at times I have been reacting with my HEART — and know that I must now be careful and not let my heart and emotions guide my decisions. But, it is SO hard to ignore the heart!
Carolann. I just said a prayer that God’s perfect will be done in your decisions. God bless you and your husband.
Thank you Ann!
God bless you Carolann! I am praying for you and your husband and family!
Thank you!
I have enjoyed viewing your decorating blog for almost a year. It has been inspirational for my own decorating. Thank you, also, for your inspirational thoughts. It is too easy to get carried away in decorating and to lose our focus (thus wasting much valuable time) on what and who is important in our lives. I appreciate your love for God and merging your great gift of creativity He has given you and sharing it in the Blog Land of decorating.
Again, Thank you!
Even more wise words from you today! Thank you my friend!
Thank You very much. This post came in such an important decision making time to me. Be Blessed.
Amen! When you have to make a decision to choose between two good things it can get a little tricky, so I always pray that God will ultimately get me to where I’m supposed to be. I had a decision like that to make and I chose still feeling unsure. It turned out that several months later that door closed and the other one reopened. I think if we earnestly want God’s best and surrender the choice to Him, He will get us to the right place.
Wonderful truth!
Yvonne,
This is a lovely post, and one that is a balm to my spirit. God works all around us and with us all of the time- so much of the time our days
are spent not noticing. It is so important that we pay attention. I also completely agree with you, that we must not make emotional, hasty decisions, being prayerful and mindful will prevent us from heartache later. In my Bible Study the instructor made a valid point, that we are like leaky ships and we must stay in the word and pray daily in order to live the word.
Thank you for this very special post.
Jemma
Yvonne, I’d like to see these types of posts every Sunday! I was, of course, surprised not to see a decor post, but welcomed this just the same. AM I wrong for thinking that this post is a ‘sign’ that I need some work in this area? That IS how I have always viewed life- looking for ‘signs’ that “God” is trying to tell me something. These ‘signs’ get me thinking and they always have a positive outcome for me- I think of these ‘signs’ as leading to a realignment of what I am supposed to be doing with my life/heart/soul. I don’t have any big decisions to make that I am aware of that are keeping me up at night. It is more a lack of faith that in the end, where IS it that “God” will take me/my life/my heart/my soul, as I DO ultimately feel He IS in charge anyway. SO how do I get the faith that all WILL be okay and trust that he will lead me to where he knows is best? And how do I practice the patience I need to wait until his will is done through me? I like to think I AM in charge! Thanks for allowing me to vent-
Faith is a decision and change is a process. And Joanne it’s a good thing I’m not in charge and don’t want to be. I would sure make a mess of my life!
Thank you so much for this , Yvonne. This is very powerful and so true. I really enjoyed reading this and found it to be very encouraging!
The title of our Sunday School lesson was “A Friend in High Places”. The lesson was to review Jesus’ prayer for the unity of all who believe in him; to experience intimacy with Jesus and God the Father through prayer; and to unite in prayer for one another and for unity in Jesus Christ. Above all we have to “turn it over to God” and let him make the decision. He is NEVER wrong!!! I love to read your devotions- you are a true “Woman of God”. God Bless You!
You are right… GOD IS NEVER WRONG! LOVE that!
Very well said! Amen & Amen!
Thank you for this inspiring message. Ihave been trying to explain this to someone very dear to me, but you said it so much more eloquently. Your blog (YOU) is always such a blessing!
Tears began flowing down my cheeks as I read post…first time reading your Sunday post. Thank you.
Bless your sweet heart Kim! God does touch us in the deepest places!
Amen sister! Thank you for encouraging all of us!
Thank you so much for this powerful message, Yvonne. I have been struggling with this very thing and I really needed to read this today. God bless!