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Have you ever made a decision you were not sure about? As I have gotten older and taken on more responsibility, I have found this is a very common experience. Did I choose the right job? Did I approach that conflict correctly? Did I make the right financial decision? As those who are in Christ, we have a responsibility to be faithful and discerning in every part of our lives. So how do we understand our responsibility and take it seriously while still trusting in God’s sovereignty? Here are some observations from Sunday.

First, the disciples devoted themselves to prayer. Were they praying specifically for this decision? Perhaps, but we do not know. I often find that when a moment of decision arrives, that is when I start praying. I do not always have weeks of leaning on God, trusting in his sovereignty, and surrendering my will in prayer as I go into the most decisions. Direction for decisions is not the only reason we pray. If I am desiring to honor God in all my decisions, then walking with him in prayer daily will have the effect of aligning my will with his to more readily make God-honoring decisions.

Secondly, the disciples used Scripture to reason out what needed to be done. Peter trusted in the Word of God believing it was a guide to trust. This may be easy to say (type) but can be hard to do. Am I in God’s Word enough, remembering what it actually says and meditating on how it will affect my decisions? There was a moment in the last two weeks where I realized I was wrestling with how I should understand and approach a trial and had yet to go to God’s Word. Now, because of the faithfulness of others who have poured into me over the years and my own time in God’s Word previously, I wasn’t going off nothing. But, I hadn’t opened my Bible with the purpose of informing me on this particular decision. And because I know I can lean towards trusting in my intuition or my “gut”, I need to guard myself well by being so centered on God’s Word.

Lastly, trust in God. I don’t know how many times, even after prayer has happened and I have studied God’s Word well, I still feel uneasy. And I may have to just decide. But this is what faith looks like in making decisions. We do not know the future. It could still go ‘wrong’. I could have misunderstood or misapplied a principle. But if I have pursued wisdom and faithfulness in a decision, I should then leave the results in God’s hands.

My heart’s desire and now stated goal is to start being intentional with these decision-making specifics. I pray also that it will be your desire/goal.