Making Decisions
Jun 17th, 2008 by Sam
I’ve almost completed J. I. Packer’s book, Guard Us, Lead Us (Justin Buzzard first pointed me to this book) which has some really wonderful kernels of wisdom on this often discussed subject. Here’s one really helpful quote:
The decisive moments in human lives are the moments of decision and commitment whereby we embrace a course of action that excludes alternative possibilities. We call such moments of commitment “making up our mind.” In human lives that are guided by God, the same applies–ideally in the following way. As we collect and survey all the available facts that are relavent for making a decision; as we search the Scriptures for the relaervent principles and parameters of decision and action; as we ask fellow Christians for words of wisdom and advice on the matter in hand; as we come to terms with the limitations and non-negotiable alternatives, working out the likeley consequences of each possiblity open to us as to make sure we will not unwittingly choose the merely good in place of the best, we should constantly ask God to judge, correct, and direct our thinking–heading us off from deciding badly and granting us the Spirit-wrought reality of his peace in our hearts as we move into what we see to be the wise way into which He is leading us. We should be willing, and (like the psalmists) tell God we are willing, to wait on him patiently till the desired discernment comes.
- More Decision-Making Wisdom from J. I. Packer
- Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?
- Who Needs to Go to Church Anyway?
- The Lazy Person’s Decision-Making Process
- Liberty for the Believer
Another great book on the topic is “Decision Making and the Will of God” by Gary Friesen. Thomas K. and I were talking about this very issue on Sunday. I related to him an analogy I heard from a former pastor who put it something like this:
We’re all sheep deciding which piece of grass to eat. There are two types of pasture - the pasture of God’s will and everything else. As long as we’re in the confines of His pasture, we have the freedom to munch on whichever patch of grass looks best, and God is pleased.
That of course is simplistic, but I think illustrates that from our perspective, there’s much freedom to be had in following God’s will, so long as we make decisions with the prerequisite of intimacy with Him and desire to follow wherever He leads. Anyway, great quote!
As always brother, you get my mental wheels spinning. When you said, “There are two types of pasture - the pasture of God’s will and everything else,” it made me agree with you, but with a caveat. There are two wills of God, but it depends on which will you’re referring to, God’s sovereign will or His revealed will. Here’s where you could look to JP for some more indepth insight.
Yeah, I should have been more clear about that. I believe said pastor was referring to the pasture of God’s moral/revealed will, since no matter how you try to escape it, every action is part of His sovereign will.
For me, the analogy is helpful in rescuing me from the eddy of indecisiveness or the confusion that comes when I’m thinking imprecisely about which aspect of His “will” applies in a given situation. Either way, your quoted quote was better than my quoted analogy.
Well, “Nether Poverty Nor Riches”, which you recommended 6ish weeks ago has been stellar, so perhaps I’ll have to hit this one up, too. My to-read list is growing exponentially!