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At the Wednesday night Encounter group, Pastor Hutch gave an excellent message about decision making, and it was very relevant to me and totally something I need to hear specifically that night. What I'm about to recap comes from my own notes that I took that night, and it doesn't even come close to the way Hutch worded it. I wasn't even following any sort of outline; these are just things that I decided to write down as Hutch was speaking. But here are some of the main points that we're supposed to remember when we make decisions (and desire to follow God's will):
- Don't sin. Sounds like a no-brainer for anyone following Christ, but we all know how easily our human nature tempts us and the enemy deceives us.
- Don't worry. We may not know right away exactly what decision God wants us to make, but the last thing He wants us to do is worry about it. As long as we are walking with God and trust that He is taking care of our needs, then there's no need to worry.
- Follow what you pray. This was a rather interesting one. If you pray and ask God to bless a certain decision (and that decision doesn't lead to sin), then that decision is the one that you and God have agreed on, and you need to follow through with it, because to not do so after that point would be going against God! On that same note, don't pray something stupid that you might regret later! (But if you do, don't worry about it.)
- The first thing that comes to your mind is probably not from God. Our wisdom is compared with God's wisdom in this verse: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Corinthians 1:25) This is why we do need to take the time to pray about it.
- Confess sins; be controlled by the Spirit. This is generally as simple as just asking God to fill us with His Holy Spirit and forgive our sins. We're not expected to remember every sin we've committed recently and confess them individually, but if there's any sin that God wants to bring to our attention for us to repent of, the Holy Spirit will convict us of those sins. Once the Holy Spirit is controlling us, then we can be confident in any decision we make!
- You will recognize God's voice if you listen to Him enough. It's much like when a parent or sibling or spouse or close friend calls you on the phone, all they have to say is, "Hey, it's me," and you instantly know who it is because you recognize their voice. If you spend enough time with God, you will learn to recognize His voice when he speaks to you, and recognize if a thought is coming from God or from you.
- See Romans 14:19-23. And remember the three C's:
- Be Considerate of others (v. 21). Think about how your decision could affect others.
- Be Convinced of your decision (v. 22). Once you make a decision between you and God, and don't doubt your decision when things start to get rough.
- Be Consistent in faith (v. 23). Keep walking with God as you follow through with your decision, and always trust that He is looking out for your best interests.
- Be Considerate of others (v. 21). Think about how your decision could affect others.
--Wayne
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