Decisions Decisions - Martin Wiles

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 

~Philippians 2:13 NLT

My job was taxing but fulfilling. Deciding whether to leave challenged me like an unstudied-for test.

Five years had passed since I’d been employed by a local county. I began as a teller and worked my way up to supervisor. Although some days found me wishing for something different, most of the time I was satisfied.

Then, just as I settled into that routine, my pastor presented an opportunity. Due to difficult circumstances, I had been out of the ministry for a few years. Now he offered me the chance to be his associate and work with the youth and children. I turned down his first request, almost without thinking. Age had crept up on me. I was too old to act like youth ministers are sometimes required to.

A few months later, he approached me again. This time I told him I’d pray about it. Soon thereafter, I accepted the part-time position. My decision was only the beginning of more decisions to come.

Gas prices were rising, and my position at the county required a two-hour drive. As I stopped in at the old country store across the road from my house, one of the new owners approached me about a part-time day manager’s position. I prayed again. Before I knew it, I was putting in my resignation at the county and working two part-time jobs.

According to Paul, God works in us, giving us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. But how?

When we trust Christ as our Savior, he sends his Spirit to indwell us. Listening to him helps us make good decisions. God’s Spirit lives in us and works through us. He is not just a presence or force; He is living and moving. He nudges us in the right direction, but also nudges us when we make wrong decisions.

Knowing God’s Word also helps with decision-making. Here we find God’s principles, wishes, and commands. Having them ingrained in our minds helps us hear God’s Spirit when he reminds us of them.

Further help with decisions comes through prayer. Knowing the Word and having the Spirit make prayer more productive. As we pray, God will speak by his Spirit about things that align with his Word.

Don’t leave your decisions to chance. Listen to God’s Spirit, pray, and consult his Word.

Father, thank you for the resources you give that enable me to make good decisions. 

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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions - Martin Wiles

For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 NLT

To buy or not to buy, that was the question.

My financial circumstances had changed. Making my present car payment was no longer possible. Since I needed a vehicle to get to work, I couldn’t sell the present one without replacing it. Buying an older car with fewer miles was my only option.

As my wife scanned the “For Sale” items in the local newspaper, her eyes caught an ad: the same make and model we had but older with more miles. We met the owner and took the car for a spin. He told us the odometer didn’t work consistently, so we took him at his word. But during the test run, it appeared: 200K, not the 100K he had advertised. 

Decision time arrived. Would we sell our newer model we couldn’t afford to purchase an older model with high mileage and only the owner’s word that he had maintained the vehicle properly? We bought the SUV. Four years later, I’m still driving it. The odometer never appears now, and the mileage is higher, but she still runs like a charm.

Solomon knew about wisdom. He asked for it, and God answered his prayer. He was the wisest man who had ever lived. He maintains God will give the same wisdom for major and minor decisions when we ask. 

My wife and I were in a tight financial crunch. We needed a dependable car at a cheap price. So we prayed, and God opened the door. Praying before making major and minor decisions is the wisest thing to do. And remaining in a God-conscious state helps me make the numerous, almost unconscious, daily decisions I’m confronted with.

Looking for principles rather than specifics is key when making decisions. The Bible doesn’t address every issue—buying a car in particular. But it does give applicable principles for all situations. When I look hard enough, God’s Spirit reveals them.

Major decisions require patience. God doesn’t always give the answer right away. Jumping ahead of Him leads to disaster and painful consequences.

Why I’m buying is important. My motives in this case were pure. At other times, they haven’t been. And decisions reflect my character. Making the right ones is crucial. They should reflect my faith in God and my desire to please Him with my lifestyle.

Life is filled with decisions. Make sure yours honor God.

Tweetable: Do your decisions honor God?

Prayer: Father, give us wisdom to make the decisions life brings our way and to do so in a way that honors You. 

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