DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

What prompted Solomon to write this? See, Solomon had everything any man would want: money, power, women, fine houses, you name it he had it, including divine wisdom. But with all that understanding that God had imparted to Solomon, he did some very unwise things. God wanted Solomon to use the wisdom he had given him to better Israel, but because Solomon gave in to his flesh, he divided a nation. Those decisions that Solomon made while he was under the allurement of his flesh seemed right to him at the time. But I believe that in Solomon’s later years he looked back and realized that a part from God, all of humankind’s natural tendencies, even though they appear right, will eventually and ultimately lead to destruction.

Just as Solomon refers to the path in our scripture passage, the Bible often likens our life here on earth as walking along a pathway. Jesus also taught in this manner when describing entering the Kingdom of God.

"You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it" – Matthew 7:13-14 NLT

It is our human nature to want to follow the easy path. This is true with running water, it will flow downhill where there is the little resistance. The same holds true for electricity. Electrons flow in the path of least resistance. People by nature are the same way. But the easy way isn’t always the right way. Often times choosing the right “pathway” means following a course that is narrow.

We should make any “life altering” decision based upon God’s word and his will for our lives. So, here are some practical steps to making Biblically sound decisions.

*Learn what the Bible says about it.

Since the Bible parallels our life here on earth as walking along a pathway, we need to make sure that we can see where we are going. Driving at night at 65 MPH with the lights off on a rural road could be deadly. The same could be said by living life without the illumination of the Word of God.

*Pray about it – wisdom is available for all who ask.

"If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking." – James 1:5

Praying and searching the Bible should go hand in hand. God recognizes that we don’t know everything. But God is omniscient, which means he knows everything. The reason some of us don’t know what to do is because we never took the time to ask God.

*Check your conscience

Our conscience is an internal mechanism that God implanted in us to provide some kind of moral restraint upon his creation. Our conscience functions upon a value system that we have adopted for ourselves. That’s why seeking God in prayer and in his word is so important, because it is his value system that we will learn as a result. But our conscience again isn’t the Holy Spirit. It can be faulty.

*Determine the impact of your decision.

This is a major issue. The decisions and choices we make not only affect us, but those around us. The Bible clearly teaches that we should always be mindful of other people.

We face decisions every day. Many will determine our future. Don’t take them lightly. Involve God in your decision making process. He will be sure to guide your way.