Our lives are full of decisions. In fact, some studies suggest that we make 35000 decisions a day! Whether or not you believe that statistic, you can probably attest to the fact that you make quite a number of decisions each day. The majority of these decisions are made almost automatically, without much thought or deliberation. You probably don’t think too hard before deciding to brush your teeth in the morning, for example. But as the impact of our decisions grow, so does the time we take to make them.
Sometimes, there are deliberate decisions we need to make that will have a lasting impact not just on our own lives, but on the lives of those around us. These are big decisions. They are not made in a minute or even a day. We often think deeply about them. We weigh the pros and cons of deciding one way or the other. We get advice from others about them. We pray about them. We do this because we know that these decisions can change the entire course of our daily lives.
When you come to these big decision points in your life, how do you approach them? This is something I had been struggling with myself and as I searched the Scriptures, I came across a passage in Genesis that brought some clarity to my decision-making process. In Genesis 12, we read the story of Abram, who made a big decision to move away from his home to go to a land that he knew nothing about. Why did he do this? We find the answer in Genesis 12:1, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.’” Abram moved in direct obedience to God’s command. His decision was not self-directed but rather God-directed.
I can imagine that this was quite a scary decision to make, especially at his age (he was 75) and at that time when travel was much more dangerous and burdensome than it is today. But rather than being driven by fear, he chose to obey God instead. Now God may not speak to you directly the way he spoke to Abram, but He may put you (or even force you) into a big-decision situation where you need to seek Him for guidance. Acts 17:26-27 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” God wants us to obey Him and move closer to Him through the circumstances in which He places us.
When we move closer to God, we also get to experience God’s blessing in our lives. When God spoke to Abram, He didn’t just give him a command, but also a promise. Genesis 12:2-3 says, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Notice here that the blessing wasn’t just for Abram; it was for everyone around him as well! When we walk in obedience to God, those around us can be blessed through us also.
Lord, would you give me the wisdom to bring every decision I make and lay it at Your feet? Thank you for being my counselor and my guide. Let my choices be made in obedience to your guidance and not be made out of fear or selfish motives. Would you help me to bless others with the decisions I make?