Decisions & God's Will Pt 2

Decision Making and the Will of God part 2

Life is the sum total of my choices.

PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS… from “Decision Making and the Will of God” part 1

• I must be aware that the most attractive choices may have unattractive ends.

• I must remember that right choices are not always easy to make.

• I must remember that all of my choices have long-term effects. (Samson)

In order to make good decisions ……

1. I must Pray Because I Need God’s Help To Make Good Decisions.

JAM 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

NEH 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

1. Prayer…

1- Makes any problem EASIER to understand.

2- Puts me in touch with the awesome POWER of God.

3- Shows me what I have to do NEXT to solve my problem.

2. I can make good choices in spite of not SEEING all of the answers to my problem.

JAM 1:6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

3. I can God for wisdom then TRUST that He will give it to me.

2. I Must Get The Right Information In Order To Make Good Choices.

PRO 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

1- I can take the time to get the FACTS.

PRO 21:2 All a man’s ways seem tight to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

2- I can be open to new IDEAS.

3- I must be willing to HEAR both sides of the story before making a judgment.

PRO 18:13 He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame.

PRO 18:17 The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.

( There is not much worst than the right answer to the wrong problem.)

3. I Can Learn From Past Decisions; the Good and Bad Ones.

GEN 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

1. Living with the consequences of my choices teaches me to choose more CAREFULLY.

2. The pain of recovery teaches me not to continue to make the SAME mistakes.

3. When I deal with a NEW problem I can look to see what I have tried before that didn’t work.

4. If it didn’t work the last time it won’t work this time either!

4. I Can Follow Jesus’ Model For Making Good Decisions.

JOHN 5:17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

1. Jesus looked to SEE what the Father was doing and then DID the same things.

JOHN 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

2. The question becomes, what would JESUS do in this situation?

3. If Jesus could do NOTHING without the Father neither can I.