Making Decisions Together

Making Decisions Together

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6

CAN WE DEVELOP A METHOD of decision making that doesn’t include arguing? I think the answer is yes, but this doesn’t imply dictatorship. The husband who rules with a “rod of iron” or the wife who insists on having the last word might get compliance, but they will not attain unity. Unity requires that we treat each other with respect. We understand that we will not always agree, but when we disagree, we will respect each other’s ideas, even if we don’t fully understand them.

“Two people are better off than one,” the Bible says (Ecclesiastes 4:9), but how can that be apparent if one person acts alone? Most of the poor decisions made in marriages are made in isolation. If I make a decision without consulting my wife, I am limited to my own wisdom. How tragic. God instituted marriage as a partnership where two people work together as a team. When we pool our wisdom, we are far more likely to make a wise decision.

The Bible clearly instructs us not to depend, or “lean,” on our own limited understanding, as we see in Proverbs 3. Certainly as a couple, above all, we need to ask God for wisdom as we make decisions. As we do that, both partners’ insights are necessary and valuable.

Life is hard. Why go it alone? Treat your spouse as a valued partner. Recognize that God gave you a wealth of wisdom when he gave you a spouse.

Father, thank you for the gift of my spouse and for the wisdom he or she represents. When we make decisions, please keep me from either taking over or abdicating all responsibility. Help us to talk together, reason well, and make wise decisions.

Decisions