It’s hard to make decisions. If you read my previous post, you read about one of the toughest decisions in my life.

I’ve been thinking about how I made this decision, and whether it was the right one. I’ve also been thinking about how I make decisions in general. And I think I’ve come up with a formula that describes the thought process behind my best decisions. The ones I’m most confident about.

We face decisions every minute of every day.

For example, right now, I’m trying to decide whether this is the right draft to turn into a post.

And whether I should include this sentence I’m writing right now, or if it would be irrelevant and cause you to stop reading.

I’m also trying to decide if the process I wrote about is really a good way to “make the right decision.”

It’s a tough decision. That is, to decide whether to make decisions this way. Or is it? A tough decision? Maybe not. I can’t decide.

This post is intended for a certain kind of decision. It’s a decision of the heart. You can take the right “path” with the wrong heart. You can start down the wrong path, change your heart, and end up still making your life meaningful and awesome.

My argument in this post is this:

The most important decisions we make every day are the ones where we already know what the right decision is.

Yet so often we still take the wrong road.

Think about it.

So how do we avoid this?

I have decided that posting this is a good place to start, and that it’s a good enough way to share with you all. I hope it helps you in some way in a decision you end up facing today.

Here goes.

 

If you know in your mind already that something is good,
don’t wait until you feel like doing that thing
to actually do it.1

1. Psych yourself out.

Remember why it’s good,
And why what you’re fighting for is more important
Than how you feel in the present moment.

If you can’t psych yourself out for that thing,

2. commit to it anyway

and ask God to give you the means and motivation.
Just give it a try. It will be worth it. Believe it.2

But whatever you do, don’t delay in or complain about loving a person.3
Especially if you don’t particularly like them.
(Those are the relationships that will prove your character
And be the source of the most fruit and significance from your life.)
You can love someone without liking them.
Jesus did.4

3. Don’t complain about loving a human being.

Because that human being is a valuable and precious treasure
to the Almighty God.5

4. The guy who created your heart knows your heart.

He knows how much you like being lazy,
and how much that really holds weight in your decision-making.
(Even though you read this right now and are thinking in your head “I’m not lazy!”
Because you work hard.
But you are still, by nature,
reluctant to obey God.)6

He knows the extent to which you really trust Him,
that He can bring good out of this decision,
And the extent to which you’re simply trusting
In your own decision-making acuity.

He knows your pride, and He can cut you down
if you don’t humble yourself.
But He can give you more trust if you just ask.

So do what you know is right.

5. And don’t do a half-assed job.

Do it right. 7

What about when there are multiple paths you can choose in good conscience?

6. Just pick one. Stop letting your regrets control you.

Pick one and be all there.

Finally, bretheren and cistern,
your ultimate goal in anything should be to bring God glory.
Whether you believe in Him or not.
Because that will be the end goal anyway.
And you can either walk to that end with joy
or be dragged there.

 7. Serve immediately and enjoy!

(That seventh one is the most important.)

1 See Ecclesiastes 5:4.
2 See Malachi 3:10.
3 For the purposes of this post, “to love” means “to want the greatest good for.” Even to one’s own expense or to the recipient’s short-term displeasure. For more on the definition of love, see 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
4 See Matthew 17:14-17.
5 See Genesis 1:27, EXB.
6 See Romans 3:10-18.
7 See 1 Corinthians 10:31.