How to Make Better Decisions – Part 2

So what practical help is available for making better decisions?  Consider this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:

Ask, and it will be given to you; 
seek, and you will find; 
knock, and it will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7

Jesus provided three clear steps we can follow that open up God’s wisdom for us.

 ASK.  A believer with an active prayer discipline naturally makes better decisions because he is vitally connected to the only true source of wisdom.

 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, 
who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

We cannot overestimate the value of an ongoing daily time of prayer and connection with God.

SEEK.  

We have a reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative source to lead us in our decision making quest:  God’s Word.  The Bible has every principle we need to form our thinking, attitudes, and perspectives.

All Scripture is breathed out by God 
and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, 
and for training in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Regularly read, study, and memorize God’s Word and you will be “complete and equipped for every good work.”

KNOCK.

God does not write instructions on paper and mail them to us, nor does He text us or email us with specific directions.  Once we have prayed and sought God’s direction in His Word, we eventually have to step out in faith to realize the benefit of His wisdom.  

When Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land, the water did not part until AFTER they stepped into the water.

Wisdom has no shortcuts.  Pray, saturate your life in God’s Word, and move in faith.  You will look back at a track record of much wiser decisions.

Does God Have My Attention?

We read one of the most exciting Bible stories in 1 Kings 18 where Elijah had a “showdown” with Baal’s 450 prophets on Mt. Carmel. Both sides placed a bull on an altar, with an ungifted wood pile underneath it.  They then would pray to their God (or god) to ignite the altar.

The prophets of Baal went first.  All day, they prayed, cried aloud, cut themselves, and danced trying to induce a god who didn’t exist to prove his existence.  I love the description of their efforts found in 1 Kings 18:29: “…no one answered; no one paid attention.”  Embarrassing utter defeat.

When it was his turn, Elijah did the unthinkable.  He poured so much water on the bull and on the wood, that the water runoff filled a trench he had dug around the altar.  Then, he prayed a simple prayer asking God to reveal Himself.  No crying.  No cutting.  No dancing.  God answered demonstratively.  Not only did God ignite the drenched wood, but the fire also consumed the bull, the wood, the stones that made up the altar, the dust around the altar, and licked up all the water in the trench.

Here is the contrast that challenged me this morning. Baal’s prophets had to go to great lengths to attempt to catch his attention.  The story includes a nugget of humor as we read Elijah’s “smack talk” as Baal’s prophets tried futilely to induce a nonexistent god to start a fire.

Elijah already had God’s attention and more importantly, God had his attention.  The sad irony, however, is that this God who pays constant attention to us, has to go to great lengths to get us to pay attention to him.

Heavenly Father, help me today to pay as much attention to YOU as You do to me.  

Faith… REALLY?

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Faith is one of the foundations of our spiritual lives.  Without it, we have no hope.  Place it in the wrong object, and we have false security.  Ground it in the nature of God, finished work of Christ, and unchallenged power of the Holy Spirit, and we are powerful people.

Two particular Bible verses shape my view of faith: Hebrews 11:1 and 6.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

From time to time, I hear some well-intentioned soul misrepresent Scripture and tell someone that they will be healed, or their need will be met, or some other positive outcome will happen of they just “have faith.”  The implication of that statement is that if it doesn’t work out the way they think it should, their faith is somehow deficient.

Think about that a moment.  What requires more faith – trusting a God who gives you whatever you ask when you want it or trusting a God who sometimes tells you no without any explanation?  I believe the latter allows us to demonstrate more faith.

Since faith is being sure of and believing even though we can’t see, then a situation that remains unresolved requires us to continue to exercise that faith.  Once we receive that for which we asked, we can see it, and it no longer exercises our faith.  The exercise of our faith pleases God, therefore we are in a greater position to please God when situations remain a challenge.

So, if you are experiencing a season in which you have asked God for a resolution and He has yet to provide it, keep believing.  That very situation and the faith you demonstrate in it is allowing you to please God.

Does anyone have a “faith” story they would like to share?  The comment section is open for you to

 

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