Making Godly Decisions When We Don’t Know the Way Forward

When I was a freshman in college, I wanted to visit some friends who lived about four hours away. The thought of a solo road trip seemed daunting, so I went to the nearest AAA office for help. I told the lady behind the desk where I wanted to go, and she pulled out a map and grabbed some highlighters, as these were the days before GPS.

After she marked my route, she looked up at me over the rim of her glasses.

“Got it?” she asked.

Being a fairly new driver and unfamiliar with my college town, I shook my head and pressed:

“But how do I get from campus to the highway?”

With great patience, she pulled out another piece of paper and started writing: Make a left on Lake Drive…

A few days later, I followed her instructions to the letter and arrived exactly at the right destination.

There have been many times since that trip when I have longed for precise life directions, when I wished for explicit guidance in the face of uncertainty. While the Bible makes clear God’s moral will, it doesn’t leave us specific instructions for which college to go to, or which career path to take, or if we should move, or which school to send our kids to.

Instead, Jesus gives us a simple command to love God and love others, a command that can be carried out in billions of ways. Although how we live out this calling is largely up to us, we can glean some helpful principles from Scripture.

When we feel uncertainty about our decisions, we are invited to seek godly wisdom. James 1:5 (NIV) says “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Cultivating a habit of prayerful dialog with God will better equip us to make wise decisions.

Additionally, becoming familiar with God’s character and God’s ways by staying connected to God’s word will help us to move forward with confidence. Proverbs 3:4-5 (NIV) reminds us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Finally, we can examine our motivations when we are facing decisions. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”

When we are connected to God through prayer and scripture, and when our motives are humble, we can be confident in the freedom we have in Christ to go forward in our decisions.

Scripture for meditation

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

Discussion & journal prompts

How can I bring my decision to God in prayer today?

What do I know about God that will help me to be discerning in times of uncertainty?

What are my motivations behind this particular decision?

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