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Two of the most important principles in decision making

We believe that the Holy Spirit will guide us in decisions.  That is good.  The question is just how or in what way He will guide us? 

1.  The Holy Spirit works through our mind. 

 "It is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."  (Phil. 2:13)  Thus it is true that the Lord gave us a mind to be able to reach wise and reasoned decisions.  That explains the call to be of mature mind.  "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." (1 Cor. 14:20)  God needs to be served also with our logic.  "And He answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind . . ." (Luk. 10:27)

Jesus often reprimands that people are going astray or backsliding because they do not use their brain and see into the logic of a matter. "And He said to them: 'Are you also so without understanding? Do you not perceive that whatsoever thing from without enters into the man, it cannot defile him . . .'  Mark 7:18.  Illogical and unwise decisions are linked to foolish: "Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such people withdraw yourself." (1 Tim. 6:5)  The first Biblical principle in decision making is thus that we should not make reasonable decisions.  Calculate the cost before you start building to know whether you will be able to complete the project! (Luk. 14:28).  For example, to buy a very expensive car of which you cannot afford the instalments, instead of a less expensive one, is a foolish decision.

2.  Guidance from the Word. 

The second important question is:  How does the Holy Spirit speak to me?  Is it that you just have peace, a feeling about the matter?  Or does the Word still today play a part - not only as a historical book of principles, but as a fresh, relevant word which guides us in specific everyday matters.  Will the Word today still give us guidance in our daily decisions which have an effect on our lives?  To be practical: can the Lord guide me by a passage of Scripture in an important decision such as whether or not to buy a house? 

We have seen that Jesus promised for His Word  to give general principles  for every decision: " . . .the Comforter . . .. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."  (John 14:26). We need to know our Bible.

He gives us the assurance that the Holy Spirit will lead us with guidance which originates from God.  ". . . when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself;  but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak . . ." (John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit does not speak on his own.  What He hears from his Father, He will relate to us.  Jesus, the other member of the Trinity, works in exactly the same way.  Jesus describes Himself as "a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God" (John 8:40).  We ought to operate in the same way, viz. that we ought to speak what we hear from God.  What comes out of our mouths?  Is it the fears that newspapers feed us on?  Is it the scary scenarios of the future people dish up to us?  Even where it concerns matters where we cannot see the whole picture and do not know the future, the Spirit wants us to speak the Word, because the Spirit works through the Word.  So the Spirit will lead us ". . . and He will show you things to come." (John 16:13)

Therefore we need to take all our questions, fears, thoughts, planning and decision making to God.  Ask that He will make his Word live for you by giving guidance by a specific passage of scripture for a specific actual situation.  "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, 'If you continue in my Word, then you are indeed my disciples." (John 8:31)

A man and his wife wish to know, can they buy a small plot of land at the coast.  Both discuss it with friends and family.  After that they are totally confused.  Financially such a decision would put great pressure on to them at first.  They remember what Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, that He will not speak from Himself, but that "what He hears from his Father, He will speak."  They decide to follow the example of the Holy Spirit and Jesus, and first to hear from God.  The Lord indeed does know the future!  Come, let us ask Him.  They decide to pray about it and to wait for guidance while faithfully reading their Bibles.  Both receive the same passage of scripture in their own quiet time: "And he shall pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain." (Dan. 11:45).  The Lord made what He originally said to Daniël come alive for them at that time, and thereby led the family clearly.  Many years later that little house would prove to be a great godsend for residence, finance and a pension.

Denzel Dick

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