Making Wise Decisions Series

Making Wise Decisions

Proverbs 3:5-6

Rev. Brian Bill

January 26-27, 2019

An HR manager advertised a job opening and a large group of applicants showed up in the waiting room. The first man was ushered into her office, and she began explaining the job to him: “We need someone who can make fast decisions, someone who can think quickly on his feet. Can you show me that you’re capable of doing that?”

Without a word, the young man immediately stood up, stuck his head out the door, and announced to the waiting applicants, “Okay, you guys. You can all go home…the job’s just been filled!”

How are you at making quick decisions? Are you good at deciding what to do? Do you ever get frustrated as you try to figure out God’s will for your life?

I like what Dilbert once said, “Informed decision-making comes from a long tradition of guessing and then blaming others for inadequte results.”

If you want to learn more about making wise decisions, I recommend a book by Ray Pritchard called, “The Road Best Traveled.” We posted a link on “Sermon Extras.” Here’s a summary: “God wants you to know His will more than you want to know it and He takes personal responsibility to see that you discover it.”

After reading through the Book of Proverbs, I put together a list of 10 questions that will help us make wise decisions.

10 Questions to Help Make Wise Decisions

1. What does the Bible say? To know the will of God, we must know the Word of God. While many of us struggle to discern what God wants us to do in specific situations, much of what He desires is already revealed in the Bible. For instance, just from what we’ve learned in Proverbs this past month, God’s will is for us to revere Him and draw near to Him. It’s also God’s will we monitor our mouths in order to launch life instead of delivering death to people. Last weekend we looked at principles from Proverbs for husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, children, teens and young adults.

We were also challenged to stand up and speak up for the preborn. Sadly, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade this past Tuesday, New York passed a bill legalizing abortion up until the birth of a baby and then lit up One World Trade Center in pink to celebrate the “Reproductive Health Act.” When the bill was signed people applauded and cheered.

My friend Ben Lovelady is the pastor of First Baptist in Silvis. Listen to what he wrote this week in light of this news.

A celebration we throw

For upholding Roe

While some heartbeats slow

To a sudden shaky stop

Hear their cries we’ll not

Blood running with no clot

The subtle turns we take

Neglecting what’s at stake

A wreckage of life we make

A semantic game

To deflect the fame

From the unborn’s claim

Life, liberty, and pursuit

Of happiness we assume

For all, except in the womb

The subtle turns we take

Neglecting what’s at stake

A wreckage of life we make

On the same day the governor of New York signed this bill into law, the governor of Illinois signed an executive order demanding abortion be included in the medical benefits of state employees and then said these words: “On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I’m proud to declare under my administration, the State of Illinois will be the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to guaranteeing the right to choose for every single woman.”

Unbelievably, on the same day, an Iowa state judge struck down the state’s fetal heartbeat law, declaring it unconstitutional.

When I read about all of this, Isaiah 5:20 came to mind: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…”

The first thing to do when faced with a decision is to ask what commands or prohibitions from the Bible apply to the decision you need to make. Proverbs 13:13: “He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.” What parameters, promises or principles has God set forth in Scripture? Most of the situations we face are already dealt with in the Word of God. Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

God has already revealed His general will for us in His Word. I wonder what God thinks when we plead with Him to reveal His will when we’re not living out the will He’s already revealed to us. Warren Wiersbe writes: “The will of God isn’t a curiosity for us to study, it’s a command for us to obey; God isn’t obligated to reveal His will unless we’re willing to do it.” Which leads to a question, Do I just want a view of God’s will, or am I committed to do God’s will?