What are some principles of good decision making?
Proverbs 1:7Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 3:5-6Trust 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.
Don’t make a decision without first asking God’s help. Begin all decisions with humility and reverence for God to whom you are ultimately accountable.
Proverbs 18:13Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.
Make sure you have all the facts before making up your mind.
Proverbs 18:15Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.
Be open to ideas. Leaders need to realize that being open to good advice is not a sign of weakness or inadequacy, but of intelligence.
Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
You will often have many people offering you advice. If you reject the advice of people who are wise, like Rehoboam did (1 Kings 12:1-20), you will probably make some foolish decisions. But if you listen to advice and weigh it carefully, you are more likely to make good choices.
Matthew 16:26“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Resist the temptation to make choices guided by a desire for personal gain. Such ambition will lead you to make some very bad decisions.
John 5:19Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing.”
1 John 5:14We are confident that he [Jesus] hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
If leaders, like Jesus, continually seek what God would have them do, then they are more likely to make good choices that honor him. Seek God’s guidance; he is glad to help you follow his will.
Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
Seek the advice of trusted friends; they want to help you and can honestly tell you if you are getting off the right track.
Psalm 119:98Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.
Make sure your decisions are based on values in line with God’s Word. Divine common sense will help you make good decisions.
Luke 6:12-13One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.
Do what Jesus did and saturate your major decisions with prayer.
Galatians 5:22-23The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Good choices are always in keeping with these character traits produced in us by the Holy Spirit. Bad choices often involve neglecting these character traits for selfish ones.
Psalm 25:4Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.
Psalm 119:24Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.
Always seek God’s wisdom first in any big decision. Knowing the Bible and gleaning its wisdom gives you more options in your decision making and provides you with the discernment you need to make healthy choices. A right decision is one that is consistent with the principles of truth found in God’s Word. If only one of the options would please God, that is the right decision. If there are several options that are consistent with God’s Word, then rather than the decision itself, the most important thing may be the process of trusting God to help you make the most of the path you choose.
