Kerby Anderson

If you think about it, your life is the culmination of lots and lots of decisions. Jim Clifton, CEO of Gallup, argues that people make 10,000 to 20,000 small decisions every day. If you multiply this by the US population you end up with one quadrillion decisions. This is one of the points Jeff Myers makes in his book, Understanding the Culture.

The legacy you leave is the sum of all of these decisions. Many are inconsequential. Others determine the future direction of your life. Some don’t seem important at the time, but they turn out to be some of the most significant decisions you ever made.

How should we make decisions? First, we should consult the Bible. We can know God’s will in our lives through the Bible since it is full of specific commands and principles. Second, we should pray. We can discern God’s will through prayer. Philippians 4:6 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Third, consult your conscience. If your conscience troubles you (Romans 14), then that is reason enough to stop and not proceed. Acts 24:16 says, “Christians should strive to have a good conscience before God and man.” By the way, a clear conscience isn’t always a justification for proceeding. The Bible teaches that “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). We can easily deceive ourselves into sin.

Finally, seek counsel. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”  Wisdom comes from many counselors. Share your decision with other godly men and women.  Their collective response will often provide God’s direction in a matter.

As Christians, we should strive to make wise and Godly decisions about our lives. How we make decisions will affect the rest of our lives and leave a legacy of faith for others to follow.