DEVOTIONAL: Making difficult choices while following Gods will
Making difficult choices while following Gods will!
I think we can all say that some time in our lives we have faced making difficult choices and in making those choices, they could take us on several different paths. One path could bring us to our purpose and to happiness or the other path could bring us to living outside of Gods will for our lives. It can be very overwhelming and bring confusion to our hearts and minds on WHAT choice should I make? The decisions we make right now can and will alter the rest of our lives. Our lives can be summed up by the choices we make right now therefore making the best choices for our lives must be based on Gods word and the principles in which He has laid out for us to live by.
Making wise decisions are critical to lead us to the life that God has for us. How do we do that? By building a strong foundation in regards to the truth in Gods word. Building a strong foundation in Gods word will allow us to make those wise choices in all of those important areas of our lives. Proverbs 2:6 says “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”
Do you remember as a teen, being faced with those crucial choices and some of those choices altered your entire life? Some of those decisions you made were good and some not so good? Sometimes, as an adult I feel like a teenager at a crossroad trying to make a decision…..unsure, scared, overwhelmed and confused. One choice is based on what I feel Gods plan is for me and one choice is what I desire for myself. Have you ever felt like this? We will always have this battle where we can lean toward the guidance and desires of the Holy Spirit and living according to Gods word OR we can lean toward the desires of our own flesh…..those decisions can lead to destruction and sometimes sinful choices/selfish desires that lead lead us away from Gods will.
When faced with difficult choices, ask these questions:
- What does the Bible say about the choice I am making?
- Is fear driving my choice or is God?
- Will God be pleased with my choice?
- Will the choice I make glorify God or grieve God?
- Will the choice I make fulfill the purpose God has for me and do I have peace about the choice I made?
- Will I be hurting others by the choice I make?
One of the greatest gifts God has given us is the choice of free will in our lives. God longs for us to choose wisely and according to His word because we DESIRE to obey the word of God and because we love Him FIRST and want to make those decisions based on the blueprint He has given us to lead us to His will for our lives. As a Christian choosing God first is the first step in making good choices for our lives and being in His will.
How do we make those hard choices in life? We must allow God to help us with our freedom of choice and free will by exercising all of the spiritual guides He has given us. We must put those into practice by studying His word and following the guidance of His word, praying earnestly, listening to the Holy Spirit and seeking wise counsel. Remember that God must have a place IN our choices and HOW we make choices for our lives. He is the guide for which we live our lives and will always reveal the truth if we just have an ear to listen, a heart that is open and a mind to comprehend. All we can do is trust Him with our lives and with all decisions and choices we make…..big and small!
Prayer of Making wise Choices:
Dear Heavenly Father I come to you today and I ask you to help me make wise decisions in my life that is pleasing to you. I pray that you give me a clear understanding of the decisions I make and a peace that can only come from you. God I am struggling with some choices I need to make in my life and I ask you to let me clearly see the plan you have for me. I ask you to give me wisdom and lead me on the path that I should go so that my life brings glory and honor to your name. Dear God you have not given me a spirit of fear so I ask that all fear be gone and that I can make this decision in boldness because I know that you are guiding my steps. Dear God, I truly want your will for my life so if you desire me to take this path, give me the strength to follow the lead your are giving me and give me clarity so that all I do is pleasing to you. In Jesus name I pray….Amen!
Bible verses about making good choices
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all of your heard and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.