11/16/22
Hey friends! Before we jump in…if you’re on social media - Instagram or Facebook - and we are not yet friends or following one another, will you get over there and do that? Find me at Tricia Zody. I would love to connect with you in that way.
So, if you’re a Christian, you don’t just want to make just any decision. You want to make a godly decision, right? You want to make a decision that is right, that’s in line with God’s will. One that puts you in the most favorable place of God’s blessings and gets you to His purpose for your life.
Some decisions are easy. But let’s face it, there are some decisions that we have to make that sends us right into panic mode. Some decisions could actually be life or death decisions; some life-changing; and some decisions that are scary or hard to make because you just have no idea what to do or what the outcome might be. I’ve been there - making decisions in each of these scenarios.
And add emotions to the decision making and it can lead to indecisiveness and make you frozen unable to move forward. Another thing that keeps us stuck is our decision-making history. If we’ve made some decisions that led to something going wrong, then we doubt ourselves, or worse beat ourselves up about it. We then create a belief that we’re not very good at making decisions; that we always make bad decisions. We fear making another bad decision and regretting the outcome. So, it keeps us frozen and indecisive.
This was my story, anyway. Remember, a story is just something you make up based on your experience. Isn’t it interesting that you and I have the ability to choose any story in the world to believe and a lot of times we pick stories that are mean and critical of ourselves? We are our own worst enemy at times.
So today, I want to look at 6 ways we can help ourselves by creating more confidence to make godly decisions.
Number one, prayer.
Prayer is just talking to God. It’s having a conversation about what’s on your heart. Telling Him all the things about needing to make this decision. You can literally say what’s on your mind, like that you’re feeling stuck in the decision making process; that your mind is swirling with all kinds of messages that are telling you you’ll mess up; that you just don’t know what to do and you’re sitting in confusion. You might tell Him why you’re having a hard time making a decision, maybe because you don’t trust yourself anymore, or that you’re worried about the consequences, or you’re afraid you’ll regret it. Tell Him everything in this conversation.
Now, don’t forget that a conversation is one where you’ll talk, but that you’ll also listen. Through this conversation, we’re able to get our hearts right in order to pray according to His will. And when you pray according to His will, what you ask for will be done. First John 5 verses 14 and 15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.”
As you talk to God about it, you’re able to get a sense of what choices to make that would be pleasing to Him. And this puts us more and more in line with His will for us.
C.S. Lewis said, “Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all of your innumerable decisions, you are slowly turning the central thing either into a heavenly creature, or into a hellish creature by simply making the decisions that you make.”
So…because we don’t want to be a quote/unquote hellish creature, a conversation with God through prayer is going to make our hearts ready to make decisions that set us in the right direction to move forward. God uses prayer to communicate to our minds, giving us creative ideas, unlimited possibilities, and solid solutions. He helps us see clearly where we were once in a fog. He maps out a better plan. Where what seems to be a desert wasteland, He creates new streams of living water. Where what looks like a crooked, rocky road, He makes the path smooth and straight. This is what He does through prayer.
Number two in order to make a godly decision is to look in His Word. When talking about prayer, I said, “Through this conversation, we’re able to get our hearts right in order to pray according to His will.” So, yes, God speaks to our hearts and minds so that we may know His will. But looking into His Word, the Bible, is a very clear way to know His will. It’s through the Bible that we’re able to seek His counsel.
I talk a lot about Romans 12:2 that tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have our minds renewed when we’re looking to the Word of God to give us direction for our lives; when we are using these precepts to guide our daily living. This is what transforms us. The second part Romans 12:2 says that when you do this “you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” In other words, being transformed and renewed through His Word allows us to be more and more clear as to what His will is for our lives. So, if you’re wondering if a particular decision you need to make is “godly”, then you can trust that you’ll find it explicitly or implicitly in the Bible. You can be sure that He will never ask you to make a decision that goes against His Word.
The third way to increase your confidence in making good decisions is to seek counsel from godly mentors or other leaders you trust. Proverbs 19:20 tells us, “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.” Now, especially if these people are older than you, they’ve probably gone through many experiences that have given them wisdom over the years. Asking these people for advice gives you a chance to consider something with a different view and perspective that you otherwise might overlook.
Number four is to consider your emotions. Emotions are important but not reliable. Your emotions are powerful directors. They can help steer you in one way or another. But you also must realize that they could steer you away from the very best decisions. And that’s because emotions are not facts. They are derived from thoughts or opinions that we have about circumstances. Emotions are formed by our thoughts. And this is the part where emotions are not altogether reliable when making decisions. Because we very well may be creating thoughts or stories that are based on lies. And lies do not make for good decision making.
If you’d like to hear more detail about this, listen to Episode number 54 - Can You Trust Your Emotions?
But we should consider or give attention to our emotions, because they give us clues as to what we want and need. Your emotions are constantly sending you messages all day long that provide you with vital information for your survival - both physical and mental. It’s from this place of awareness that we’re able to make choices and decisions for ourselves.
Number five is to consider your core values. Core values are those things that represent your highest priorities, your deepest held beliefs, and the passions that drive you. For example, some of my top core values are faith, family, integrity, connection or love, and peace. From this list, I make all my decisions. If I want to consider a new career, I ask myself, “Is it in alignment with my faith? Does it support or perhaps hinder my family? Is there integrity within the organization and my role in it? Is there opportunity for connection and relationship with people in a loving way? And does it bring me peace? Does it create peace? Or instead, will it create chaos in my life? Knowing your core values allows you to make decisions easily.
The sixth way to create more confidence to make godly decisions is to trust God in you. Trust your intuition. Trust that the Holy Spirit is constantly moving you to the left or to the right to keep you on the right path. Isaiah 30, verse 21 reminds us that when we turn to the right or to the left, then our ears shall hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” He is for you. He’s helping you constantly. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them,"
As a Christian, we can be sure that everything that you’re experiencing in life, God is going to use it for your good and for His glory. This should give us great confidence knowing that good things will come from every decision, even if the things don’t turn out the way you expected them to, good will come from it. God will make sure of it. This should ease the tension and bring peace when making those difficult decisions. We need to learn to trust God in us. That’s what allows us to trust ourselves.
I don’t have time to cover this thought, but I’ve already talked about it in Episode 9 - Crickets: Decisions in the Silence, and that is that sometimes we don’t get a clear directive from God about a decision. It can be confusing, unless we understand who God is, how He operates, and what our relationship and position is in Jesus Christ. If this is what you’re experiencing in your decision making, I highly recommend listening to episode number 9. I’ve heard from others how it was really helpful for them.
Okay, friend, there is your “How To”. Six ways to increase your confidence in making a godly decision: prayer, search the Bible, seek godly counsel, consider your emotions, consider your core values, and trust God in you. I do believe the next time you’re faced with a difficult or important decision, if you’ll utilize these six things, you’ll feel more free and confident to move forward. God wants to help you make that decision. You’ve got this!
Okay, what if you still feel like you don’t got this? Well, that’s okay. It’s a process. And I can help you navigate through. I’d love to be your Life Coach.
I’ve put a link in the show notes for a free 30-minute call just so we can see if we’re a good fit to work together and show you how Life Coaching would work for you.
Oh, and, get the guide. It’ll walk you through the 6 points to making a decision.
Have a wonderful week, friends. See you next Wednesday for the next episode of Another Beautiful Life.
