HOW TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS


Making decisions is seldom easy, particularly when two seemingly good opportunities present themselves. It gets confusing to know what God is trying to tell you. You're responsible to Him to make the best decision you can. The Bible puts a great deal of emphasis on seeking out wise counsel and considering what you hear. Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise (Proverbs 19:20).

It may seem like a lot of effort to run all your decisions through these three levels of counsel. If the decision is as mundane as the choice between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, such counsel-seeking is unnecessary. But if you are facing an important decision, the three-level approach will help you reach better decisions.

Seek out:

  1. Biblical counsel. Many of the decisions you make have spiritual implications. If you know people who are mighty in the Scriptures and who know how to apply the Bible to life, you ought to seek them out to discuss the spiritual implications of your decisions.

  2. Experienced counsel. Ask those who have gone through similar experiences. This may mean listening to your parents or those who have lived to a good age and have lived astutely. They may have traveled a road similar to the road you are traveling. Often they learned the hard way, but, by their experience, can help you learn from their mistakes - not yours. Caution: It's dangerous to rely on just one person's experience. When you talk to people about experiences, you will be wise to talk with a number of people who have faced similar decisions and extract direction from their combined counsel.

  3. Best available counsel.Go to an expert in the field that you are questioning. Find the person who knows the most about what you need to know in order to make a good decision.

    • Example: You are trying to decide whether you should have cosmetic surgery. The first level of counsel would be to decide whether it is Biblical. Are there spiritual dimensions to this surgery? Are you, perhaps, placing too much emphasis on external appearances for happiness in your life? Second, you can gain valuable information from people who have had such surgery. Was great pain involved? How did they make their choice of surgeons? Third, you may want to talk with a good plastic surgeon about the proposed operation. The surgeon may not be a Christian, but if he's qualified he ought to know everything you need to know about the surgery itself. Finally, heed the counsel you receive. When all is said and done, you are still responsible for your own decisions.