“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT
During this season, we are bombarded with voices coming from every direction. There are medical experts telling us that we need to shut everything down to stop the spread of Covid. There are business owners who are hurting and struggling to survive, telling us to open things up so the economy can rebound.
The pressure to make decisions is all around us. Personal decisions: Do I get vaccinated, and if so, which vaccine do I think is safest? Business decisions: How do I operate my business within the restrictions? What online tools are most applicable to my situation? What capital investments should I make?
God has given us the ability to choose. Decisions—and the consequences that follow them—bring either blessing or cursing into our lives, to those around us, and to the generations that follow. While we have the freedom to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. Every choice we make sets into motion a chain of effects or results that we no longer have control over.
How do we make wise decisions that bring blessing?
1. Make a list of the pros and cons of the decision. Sometimes putting our thoughts into writing helps to clarify the decision.
2. Seek wise counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says there is safety in having many advisers. If possible, seek advice from those with more experience than you. Seek advice from someone whose life exhibits the qualities you aspire to. Seek advice from someone who perceives the situation from a perspective different than ours.
3. When we are examining different alternatives, which one produces life? The passage above says God is setting before us life and death—choose life.
4. Colossians 3:15 advises us to let the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts. That word “rule” can also mean “be an umpire.” Which of the choices before us brings the most peace?
5. In John 10:3–5, Jesus says that his sheep will follow him because they know his voice. As we spend time with our Shepherd, we will get to know his voice and be able to discern it from the myriad of voices all around us.
6. When God told Elijah to stand before him in 1 Kings 19, there was a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but God was not in any of those. Then there was a still small voice, a gentle whisper—and that was when God spoke. Most of the time, God whispers. We live in a culture where the loudest voice gets the most attention, but volume does not equate to truth. To hear God, we need to shut out the noise around us and find a quiet place to hear his whisper.
7. Finally, we need to be reminded from Ephesians 6:12–13 that we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). We battle against rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. God, give us eyes to discern the spiritual dimension behind the decisions we face.
Put on the armor of God, walk under his protection, and we will come through this battle standing firm.
