Decision Making by Dr. Thomas Yeakley

Decision Making According to God’s Will

Our problem is doing God’s will, not knowing God’s will!  Because God is God, He will have no trouble in communicating to us what He wants us to do.  We must be willing to do whatever He desires for us, before He will let us know His plan for us.

Note, we are talking about major decisions in our lives, not things like, “What will I wear today?”  But rather such decisions as, “Is God asking me to assume this ministry leadership role?”

The Lord frequently uses five means to direct us into His will.  The first is the Word of God – the Bible.  The second is personal peace about the decision when you pray and reflect upon it.  The third means is wise counsel.

Proverbs 15:22 (ESV) says,

“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” 

Note that it says, ‘many advisers.’  What the Lord will do is give you a consensus of opinion from many advisors, but not all will say the same thing.

Proverbs 13:20 (ESV) reminds us,

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” 

Who you choose to ask for counsel determines the quality of counsel you will receive.  Finding the right counselors who know us, want our best and God’s best for us is a challenge.

You don’t want biased counsel from those who are trying to direct you to a particular outcome.  It is hard to get counsel from someone who does not have hidden motives – someone who is neutral in whatever decision you may choose.  Objective counsel from mature believers will be used to give perspective and direction.

Look for counsel from those who are more mature and experienced than you.  If you ask your friends, they may only give you the answer they think you want to hear, not wanting to risk the friendship by telling you the truth.

Wise, godly counsel can be hard to come by.  Proverbs 19:20 (ESV) says,

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” 

The Lord will see that you get good counsel if you seek it.

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Dr. Thomas Yeakley is currently serving as a Staff Equipper for The Navigators. He seeks to build emerging leaders by helping them thrive in life and leadership. He is an author and speaker. His latest book release is Growing Kingdom Wisdom: The Essential Qualities of a Christian Leader (NavPress May 2019.)

Christian Leadership Alliance is honored to present Tom Yeakley as the speaker for The Outcomes Conference 2020 Men’s Breakfast April 9.  If you have not yet registered for the Outcomes Conference 2020, we encourage you to do it now and specifically reserve your seat for this very special gathering of Christian men in leadership!

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