Good Decisions

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.”

What does it mean to make a good decision and then go with it? What criteria does it take to finalize a decision and know that it was right?

There are so many paths that life can take, the decisions made will have ramifications that will last for eternity. Some decisions might look simple such as the use of money, path of careers, marriage, children, where to live, or where to go to church, but the way these decisions are made reflect a much deeper longing.

The longing of the heart determines its course. Many human desires are for personal fulfillment, pleasure, or peace, while the outcome of these decisions should be tempered by the expectations.

If the decisions are made with greater perspective, (like God’s will), then the expectations would carry with them a greater purpose.

What is your Source?

Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”

The path of life can seemingly take many turns, especially when you are young. Life seems to come in rapid fire decisions that can be hard to make if you feel like your future is hanging in the balance. The source of your decisions are a critical element in how you make those decisions. Whether it is a parent, friend, or counselor who is giving you feedback, what or who you rely on requires a measure of trust. If you trust that certain people have your best interest in mind, trust that they have the wisdom to direct you well, and trust that their counsel is founded on good reason then you have a final measure to confirm your path….the Word of God.

What if…

*What if that parent only wants to see you succeed financially but takes no consideration into what would bring honor to Christ?

*What if that friend only gives feedback that echos your own sentiment and only “wants you to be happy”.

*What if that guidance counselor is only using an algorithm that measures your likes and dislikes and funnels you into a career that fits your profile and not your calling?

The real question is not what brings the greatest amount of worldly success but what direction were you meant to go?

This question of meaning and purpose moves beyond the flesh and into the work of the Spirit.

Psalm 9:10 “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

The God who is Sovereign has a plan for you if you are ready to receive it.

That Lord knows you better than you know yourself and will lead you if you will follow.

God is not swayed by anyone or anything, He is consistent and faithful in how He leads and can be trusted.

God’s purpose for you is to make you holy and the journey is part of that process.

  Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”

The love of God is immeasurable by human standards. The best example we see of His love expressed was when Jesus gave His life upon the cross.

God’s love is sacrificial, pure, and undefiled. In essence, this is the love He has called His people to exemplify.

Does Godly love look anything like personal fulfillment?

 Proverbs 16:9
 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

When the sinner lays down their life for Christ, they gain everything. Each job, relationship, or place of living becomes a desire to fulfill His will, not just another step on the ladder of success. There is purpose behind each move God leads His people in, there is a plan, and there is personal fulfillment because God is in the midst of it.

Dead Ends

Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

  Have you ever come to that point in your life when you thought to yourself, this is going nowhere! I meet a lot of people who have come to this conclusion and in many instances it is true.

How do you know if your path is leading you to a dead end or to life?

The process of learning how to make right decisions is the same process for deciding if your path is good.

*What fruit is produced from your decisions? If the Lord is leading you, your steps are aligned with His Word. If a prospective spouse is not a believer…God is not leading you into a relationship with that person. If you job requires you to sin, He is not leading you toward that career path. If your friends are trying to lead you away from God’s holiness, they are not your friends.

To walk in Christ is to walk in obedience to His Word, and the way of His Word always leads to good.

He doesn’t promise the way will be easy, but He does promise that He will never leave you or forsake you. God promises that He will move mountains that stand in your way. He promises that He will go before you and protect your rear guard and equip you for the battle. He promises peace, joy, and freedom.

Does your path look like this?

If it doesn’t, if at every turn there is another roadblock that requires you to work twice as hard to get around it. If the path leads to pride, selfishness, or separation from those God has lead you to, then you can be guaranteed the Lord is not in it.

The fruit of righteousness reflects God’s character. When you walk in His path, His attributes shine forth and He is glorified. When you follow your own path, you reap the reward of the sinner.

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.”

The moral law, a.k.a. the 10 commandments, is the path of the righteous. It acts as a signpost along the way of life that instructs you in the way you should go. If you have to offend one of these commandments, you know that you are offending God and going off course.

Are the counselors in your life instructing you from God’s vantage point or in worldly wisdom?

If they are not following the Lord, no matter how much success they might have had or how much they want you to succeed, you need to look elsewhere.

All that matters in life is to do God’s will.

It becomes very obvious the longer your alive…. we live very, very short lives, and then we die. We will have an eternity to reflect on the decisions we have made and the fruit we have produced from the opportunities those decisions provided.

The Lord leads His people to produce good fruit. When a person is obedient to the Spirit, the path they walk is blessed by God. When a person goes their own way, they can be assured that their way will not be blessed.

Psalm 1:4-6“The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

God knows the good way, even if you don’t. Godly knowledge is found in the path of the righteous, He leads in perfection, a perfection that He is intimately acquainted with because it reveals His righteousness.

If you want to walk in step with the Shepherd, you must learn how to be a sheep.

Being a sheep implies complete reliance on Christ.

The Lord has laid before you the path of success—It doesn’t look like a path defined by the world, because it looks like Him.

Jesus was successful and His ministry didn’t end on a hill, dying upon a cross. Jesus arose from the grave victorious and He will reign forever with those who love Him and have trusted in Him.

Trust Him with your decisions and you will see true success.