How to Make Decisions with More Confidence

Decisions, decisions, decisions…much of life is simply making decisions.  If you are like me, you wish someone would develop a fool-proof system for making the right decision every single time. You might even pay $19.99 plus shipping and handling for it, right?

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.

If you want to make a difference, spend time with a child

Last week, my seven-year-old daughter walked up to me and asked for a pocket-knife lesson.  As you can imagine, I was shocked.  I thought, "My daughter wants a knife lesson?"  The more I thought about it, my thoughts went from "What?" to "Cool!"  You should have seen us in just a few minutes.  There we were sitting on the deck whittling away on sticks.  She had a smile a mile wide, and so did I.  When I told her that we were whittling, she thought I said, "Fiddling."  She said, "Dad, I love to fiddle!"

The past few days I've spent with my ten-year-old nephew who is visiting while on a school break.  We have hunted, fished, played basketball, laughed, and wrestled.  It's a wonder we haven't broken anything. There have probably been times this week that my wife has been glad we have all girls - too much testosterone around the house this week.  Words fail me to explain the feeling I had watching him put a worm on his hook for the first time, reeling in a fish, and learning to filet the fish for supper.  As we ate those bluegill he said, "This is the best fish ever."  The glow of wonder and awe that has beamed from his eyes have reminded me of the little blessings I too often take for granted.

God keeps impressing on my heart the incredible impact that one person can have on another if they will just spend a few minutes with them.  This is no more clearly seen than

Give Yourself Permission to Smile

It is stated that the wisest man in history was the great King Solomon of Israel.  To this day, his wise proverbs inspire us, challenge us, help guide us down a road of self-improvement and draw us closer to God.  In addition to the book of Proverbs recorded in the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes is also attributed to him.  Written toward the end of his life, Ecclesiastes has a different feel than his Proverbs, but is no less beneficial to our  life and faith.

When you begin reading Ecclesiastes, you are struck with the author's dark, depressive tone.  Though a man given wisdom from above, like all of us, Solomon did not always yield to heavenly wisdom and made many mistakes.  In Ecclesiastes, he writes from a reflective point of view as if he is looking back over his life and asking the questions "Why did I do that?" "Was that important?" "Where did my focus get off track?"  Over and over again he repeats the words, "Everything is meaningless!" and "Chasing after the wind."

hen reading Ecclesiastes, It's tempting to close the book and open to a different section of the Bible. We are more comfortable with lighter, more uplifting texts of Scripture.  Truth is, some of