How to make a decision when you don’t know what God wants

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Decisions.  They’re part of our daily makeup.  From the time we rise until the time we tumble into bed, we make roughly 35,000 of them, experts say!

When you need to make a decision that’s small

Do I get up now or hit snooze?

Do I drink coffee or eat fruit loops first?

To make the bed or fire off an email?

Should I wash my hair or dry shampoo?

What to wear?

Where to put the worn-but-not-dirty-clothes-worthy stack?

What to fix for dinner?

And these are the simple choices!

Minimalists suggest paring down the wardrobe, only keeping the basics to mix and match; eating the same breakfast each day; keeping the same evening routine.  These small choices save brain space for tougher things in life.

Right now, all of that sounds good to me!

And what about the big decisions?  

                  We even have to choose what to eat at every single meal!

When you need to make a decision that’s big

Selling homes

Moving cross-country

Switching schools

Elderly care

Childcare

It’s not easy making decisions that chart the course of not only our future but that of our children.

Bob Goff says, “The battles for our hearts are fought on the pages of our calendars.” 

Our calendars reflect our heart decisions.

While God’s Word, prayer, and the counsel of the Holy Spirit and wise believers are the ultimate plumb line for decision making, we often overlook one simple solution:

What is right in front of you?

These are a possibility we’re missing the obvious when it comes to choices.

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Visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads

We tend to think grandeur thoughts like, “What if I was an astronaut”, or, “Maybe I should start 5 DIY blogs on how to install shiplap”.

And while running 5 shiplap blogs is a little overkill and you will most certainly kill yourself doing it, we like to dream, don’t we?

There’s nothing wrong with dreaming.  Dreams give us hope.  But sometimes?

Sometimes the answer is right in front of us when we need to make a decision.

When I first encountered the empty nest, I didn’t know what to do with myself or which way to turn.  (I started out the window and watched football of all things.)  I couldn’t make a decision on the next step in life.

Here’s a snippet I recently wrote about my experience:

“Many times, God leads us to take action on life-long passions.  My passion was motherhood.  I always wanted to be a mom and didn’t really care if I did anything else (once I graduated college).

When the kiddos moved away, a great void filled my soul. 

I realized God was asking me to step out with my blog (up until then, it was basically a family journal; humorous escapades of day to day life).

As I finally said “yes” to God’s call, I waited in prayer and read through the Bible.  I journaled and blogged about what I read.

Slowly, bit by bit, He directed me to a blog mentor  Slowly, God turned my writing to my passion – motherhood.  Moms began following me.”

As I waited in prayer, listening to God’s Word, He began to work.

The obvious answer; how to make a decision

My answer to “What should I do now?” was, “Look right in front of you!”

Even when we see the answers, the tough part is taking action.  We’re not sure how to go about the next step.  That was my problem, after realizing what God wanted.  But by taking action on the first steps (writing again), God leads me to the next steps!

All because I made time each day to sit at Jesus’ feet.

If you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,

 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

Proverbs 2:3-4, ESV

This decision-making process isn’t easy.  Proverbs 2:3 indicates actively searching for God’s wisdom is the key to finding it.

What decision are you trying to make today?

Are you trying to change something?  Run away from something?  Get out of a situation?

God has you right where you are for a reason.  Before you run, look where you are.  Ask God, “What am I supposed to learn from this?  Why am I in this situation right now?”

Your life is not a haphazard display of disconnected circumstances.  Rather, it is a divine appointment for God’s direction.  He’s trying to show you right now.

Do you want to make a decision but you don’t know what God wants:

What is right in front of you?

Do you need to make a decision?