Decisions, Decisions

K-Lai — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 23:46:00 -0700

This post won’t be nearly as long as the previous one, but it’s going to be of more substance than other things I’ve written lately.

I was talking with a close friend about making decisions today, which got me thinking about how we make decisions. After all, we have to deal with decisions every day – how do we know that what we decide to do is right or not?

As it turns out, that’s one of those things I’m hoping to figure out in the next few months/years. I give myself that much time because I think it’s really more of a framework that I need to establish in my life rather than some hard-lined rules about do’s and don’ts. Here’s what I’ve considered so far:

I need to make my decisions filtered through the Bible. Since I have already decided to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, I should probably make choices that line up with what He says is right. In order to do that, I need to know what He said. So for any decision, I should check the Bible first to see what it says about the situation.

I need to make my decisions filtered through prayer. Most definitions I’ve heard of what prayer is have been inadequate in describing the many nuances and purposes that encompass this simple process. The Bible says to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and various passages refer to prayer as part of asking things of God and giving Him all of my concerns (Philippians 4:6-7). It also seems like a pretty good idea to check in with God regarding whatever decisions I need to make.

My decisions are eventually going to be things I desire to do, even if I may not enjoy them. This statement is paradoxical in nature – evolutionary science explains our desires to do things that we don’t enjoy as a result of some higher evolutionary beneficial motive. However, the Christian worldview contrasts that explanation with the call to “carry the cross daily.” For the Christian, there is a greater purpose than personal survival or species survival that comes out of deciding to do things that aren’t pleasant. At the same time, not all of our decisions are going to be choosing between pleasant and unpleasant …sometimes they will be between two pleasant things or two unpleasant things. Still, if I am following God’s will, He will satisfy my desires by either providing what I want, or changing what I think I want to what I really want. More on God’s will in a bit.

Well, there’s more that I want to unpack, but it’s way late and I’m way tired. So until next time, keep dry and warm!

k-lai.com: Decisions, Decisions

Decisions, Decisions