Category: Making Wise Decisions

This is the first in a series of articles on Wrong Approaches/Attitudes in Decision Making.

Wrong Approach #1 Matigas Ang Ulo Ko (I am hard-headed)
A person with this attitude simply says “I will do what I want” or “I will get what I want,” regardless of what God is saying.

Most of us have struggled with this attitude at some point in our life. Deep in our hearts we know what God is asking us to do, but we have a different agenda.

One example of this attitude can be found in 1st Samuel, chapter 8. The Prophet Samuel was getting old and the Israelites did not trust God to provide another leader. They demanded to have an earthly king so they could be like other surrounding nations. God Himself wanted to be their king, but they would not listen. Here is God’s reply to Samuel:

The LORD answered:
Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king. Ever since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they are turning away from you. Do everything they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them.
-1st Samuel 8:7-9 (CEV)

God allowed their request because they were hard-headed. In the same way, He will not force us to make the right choice. He will guide us and even warn us, but its up to us to make the right decision.

What happens when we are hard-headed?

When we are hard-headed, we end up with something less than God’s best for us. This is what happened to Israel. The Nation of Israel was divided after King Solomon died. Most of the kings led them into wickedness.

We can be sure that God is always acting in our best interest. Listen to Him and follow Him when He tells you to do something. I promise that you will never regret obeying God!

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
-Psalm 32:8-9 (NIV)

Next week I will be writing about Wrong Approaches/Attitudes in making decisions. First I want to ask a question: do your decisions matter?

They absolutely do! Why? I will answer this questions by giving you some theology. “Theology” really just means thoughts about God. I want to explain some of God’s characteristics in simple terms.

God is Relational
One of the first things I teach students is that we serve a relational God. Human beings are created to worship God and have a relationship with Him. This is the very reason we are alive!

You can find evidence of this all the way back in Genesis. God created Adam and Eve in His image. When they sinned, God pursued them. He went into the Garden of Eden and said “Where are you?” (Genesis 2:16-17). God took the initiative to reestablish a relationship which they had broken through sin. Adam and Eve’s decision affected their relationship with God. In the same way, our decisions affect our relationship with God.

God is Responsive
God responds to us as we respond to him. Again we can find an example in Genesis. God called Abraham to do something special (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham responded in faith, and God in turn responded to Abraham’s obedience.

Sometimes we are tempted to think that God doesn’t notice us or doesn’t care. Some of the writers of the Bible even felt this way (Psalms 13:1). We may feel this way, but it is simply not true. God is a responsive God—the Bible is full of examples of God responding to His people. Sometimes we have to be patient, but He is always faithful. He will answer your prayers, fulfill His promises, and reveal His will for your life.

God is Ever-Present
Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

What if God sent a text message to you, saying “I’m coming to visit tomorrow”? Well, guess what—God is with us every moment. We should keep this in mind with every decision we make.

God is All Knowing
Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

The Bible tells us that God is all-knowing (Omniscient). This means that He knows us intimately—He knows us better than we know ourselves! He is aware of every decision we make and even the motivation behind our decisions.

God wants the Best for His Children.

Matthew 7: 9-11 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him

Jesus describes God as a father who wants to bless his children. What a beautiful picture of our heavenly Father! He wants to guide us in our decisions because He wants the best for us.

Now, let’s put all of these characteristics together. Let’s think about the God we serve:

We live with a Relational, Responsive, Ever-Present, All Knowing God who wants the best for us!

J.I. Packer said it this way in his book Knowing God:
“Living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator”

Why do our decisions matter? Our decisions matter because we matter. We matter because we matter to God. J.I. Packer is right—living is an “awesome business.” Let’s live well and decide well!