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Let’s be honest, that will never happen. We can’t eliminate all the guess-work out of decision-making, but we can make decisions with more confidence. In Genesis, the first book in the Bible, we read about a critical point of decision for Abraham and his nephew, Lot. Bickering had begun between the farmhands of the two herders. Abraham approached Lot with a proposition.
He told Lot he would divide up his land between the two. The decisions made that day would define the legacy of both men. Abraham’s name would become synonymous with integrity and faith, while Lot would become known as a disgrace.
Is it possible to have more confidence in our decision-making process? I believe so. Here are 5 solid steps to follow.
1. Understand that our decisions reveal our priorities.
Abram said to Lot, “If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right…Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east” (Genesis 13: 9-11).
By all rights, Abraham could have made the first choice, but he gave the privilege to his nephew. What does that say about the heart of Abraham? Lot on the other hand was a different character. He must have been salivating as he looked over the land and quickly chose what appeared to be the best. His decision was based on one thing…himself. It appears Lot chose what he believed would give him the most return on his investment without much thought of anyone else.
2. Pray for guidance.
Lot’s decision would have grave consequences. His poor decision-making would lead his family to compromise their convictions and live in wicked Sodom. He would continue down the slippery slope until he lost his joy, his reputation and his children. The Apostle Peter wrote that Lot’s soul was tormented day by day by the unrighteous deeds he saw and heard in Sodom (2 Peter 2:8).
Abraham’s decisions, however, were bathed in prayer. The Scripture says, “There Abram called on the name of the LORD” (Gen. 13: 4). He made a practice of having an altar before any major decision. Abraham understood an important truth, our lives are not all about us; we are to live for God. When we make decisions apart from prayer and seeking God’s will, we put ourselves on the throne. We become our own idol.
Abram prayed and God answered. He will do the same for us. The Psalmist declared, “Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:2).
3. Look ahead to where the decision will lead.
Lot made the mistake of looking at the “now” and not at the “hear after.” Someone once said, “Never judge a decision by where it is…but by where it is going.” This past summer, my family and I vacationed in central Florida and spent a few days at Disney World. The most fascinating part of the Disney experience for me is the light and firework shows they put on every night before the parks close. I have read that when Epcot opened, a man standing beside Walt Disney’s widow remarked, “If only Walt could have seen this.” “He did see it.” Mrs. Disney replied, “That’s why it is here.”
4. Seek wise counsel.
Proverbs 11:4 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
My parents taught me a valuable lesson as a child; “When in the presence of your elders, listen more than you talk.” No one knows everything about everything, but everybody knows something.
The Bible teaches us to seek wise counsel from…
• Other People
Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,”
Proverbs 12: 15, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
Proverbs 15:22, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
• God’s Word
Psalm 119: 105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
5. Gather the facts.
On my desk I have this quote, “Most decision-making is simply gathering facts.” How true that is. I have a confession. There have been many nights that I have lost sleep, fretted, worried, sweated, tossed and turned about a decision I needed to make only to find out it wasn’t nearly as stressful after I learned all the facts.
Decision-making can be stressful. Yet, if follow the principles taught in Scripture; we can have more confidence in making them.
