Decisions - Decisions - Decisions - And How To Make Them Series

Decisions – Decisions – Decisions – And How To Make Them

I heard a story this week of a young lady who had been invited to the senior prom. Well of course – a young lady needs a new dress for the prom and it just happened that the young lady’s grandmother was a great seamstress. They went to the fabric store together and picked out the material – but when it became time to pick out a pattern – the young lady could not decide whether the dress should be sleeveless or with sleeves. So a pattern was purchased that could be altered later when the young lady decided what she wanted.

Well time went on and the grandmother asked her granddaughter, “Do you want a sleeveless dress or do you what one with sleeves.” Unable to decide the granddaughter could not give an answer.

Time passed and the prom was getting closer – but still the young lady could not decide. Finally the grandmother said, “Come back in about five days and your dress will be ready.” When the granddaughter arrived she found a dress that had one long sleeve and the other side sleeveless. In this case it turned out very well for the dress was very attractive and the young lady looked very beautiful in it. But indecision sometimes does not leave us with good results – does it?

Decisions – Decisions – Decisions – we are faced with them every day. Some of them are big and some of them are small – but they still must be made. Have you ever struggled with making decisions? “What should I fix for dinner?” “What should I wear today?” “Where should I invest my money?” “Who should I date?” “Where should I go on vacation?” “What career should I pursue?” Some decisions are BIG – but others are small – yet they all can be important.

It is amazing to me – how many sources the average person will consult when faced with making a decision. They search through their horoscopes or consult trusted friends. Some people will even ask complete strangers for their advice or will follow the accepted patterns of their culture. But let’s look at what the Bible says. Follow along with me as I read from Proverbs:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASV)

Do these verses address the issue of decision making? I believe so. You see God wants us to make wise decisions. He wants us to follow His guidance. In fact one of the main reasons that the Bible was written was that His children would have words to live by. He wants to give us clear direction.

I heard the story of the woman driving through the mountains west of Denver when she ran into a snowstorm. She was completely lost and then peered ahead and saw a four-wheel drive pickup with a blade on the front of it. Since she was lost she decided to follow the truck and kept as close to the machine as she could while it removed snow from the road. At times the blowing snow almost cut off her view, but she kept following the truck. The truck would go up the hill get to the top and make a “U-turn” and go back down the hill. She faithfully kept following the truck. After about the third time that the truck went up and down the hill, the truck stopped, and its driver got out and walked over to her car. “Lady, where are you going?” he asked. “I’m on my way to Denver.” she replied. The truck driver replied, “Well, you’ll never get there following me! I’m just plowing my drive-way!”

In order to get to our destinations, we must make sure we’re on the right road. We need to follow the One who longs to give direction to our life. Many times we think that God is playing ‘hide and seek’ with us – when it comes to the discovery of His will for our lives. This is not true. God delights in revealing His purpose and plans to His children, if we’re serious about finding His will for your life - He will reveal it to you. Look at what the book of James tells us:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NKJV)

It is God’s desire for us to have wisdom. In fact – God’s desire is for you to be successful in life. He wants you to live life wisely. While we are on this subject let me list some common myths that we need to identify and dispel before we go much further.