Principle Scriptures: Matthew 22:37-38; Romans 12
God calls us to make wise choices, so what will you do about it? Here are some thoughts:
1 The first thing we need to do is: change our attitude from being selfish to being Christ like (Romans 12)!
2 The second thing we can do is have a purpose and reason for our life. Have goals and a mission in life (Matthew 22:37-38).
Look over these two Scriptures and you will know what is God's Will! You see, Jesus plainly tells us, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And then He tells us how to apply it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Thus, we need to seek through wise council and prayer what we can specifically do to please God and model His love to others around us.
What does this look like in my daily life? When something comes up I need to seek and know what is best by having a good positive attitude, being in prayer, and asking, "does this please God?" And what pleases God? The answer is simple; it is our attitude, character, and Fruit of the Spirit working in and through us over all else!
So, when I need to think about who should I be friends with or what college should I go to, I make my decisions by reading his Word, asking wise older people (not just dufus friends), praying, and thinking it through.
Here are some more thoughts:
1 Pray!!!!! Luke 11:9
2 Commit your self and choices to the Lord: Psalm 15; 37:5-6, 23-26.
3 Seek God's Will: James 4:13-15…
4 Ask God for wisdom: Proverbs 2:1-9; James 1: 5-8
5 Realize that God loves you and keeps His promises: 1 John 4:4-21.
6 Ask others for advice (who are older and wiser): Proverbs 11:14; 12:15
7 Be willing to learn from your mistakes and from others: Proverbs 3:13-14
8 Be forgiving and accepting of others. 1 Timothy 1:12-16
9 Do not allow your pride to steer your direction in life: Psalms 10:4; Proverbs 16:18.
10 Do not fret over past failures or fear the future; God is still loving and guiding you.
Now go over your options and make a list of the pros and cons, the pluses and the minuses and then ask to go "P":
P-P-P means pray, peace and press on. First, we are to pray and not be anxious. Second, we are to have peace as Colossians 3:15 states. Third, after we have done the first two, we need to press toward the goal and not be afraid to fail. When we do this, two things will happen; we will either succeed or we will discover that was not God's will and have to reboot. Either way, God will use it to help us grow. Mistakes are not sin unless we are being disobedient to God.
A-S-K refers to ask, seek and knock, which comes out of Luke 11:9. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. To ask means simply are we asking God and/or are we asking qualified people? To seek means are we seeking our options and being honest with our abilities and ourselves? Also, are we seeking reliable information? To knock means to get ourselves moving; do not sit around and wait for your ship to come in because it may have already sunk.
What is the up side of making good decisions, besides a better and happier life (1 Thessalonians 3:7)?
1 They help us be a better person
2 They help us earn the respect and trust of others such as parents teachers and friends
3 They help us have happier and healthy relationships
4 They help us have a good character and reputation
5 They help provide us with a successful and fulfilling future
We are not rats in a maze, but Heirs to the kingdom of God! So go in comfort to love and serve the Lord our God. Do this with obedience, with passion and conviction, and with love and desire!
More ideas and help available at www.intothyword.org on the God's Will Channel
© R. J. Krejcir 1994, 2001 www.intothyword.com