There are 3 basic steps involved in making good decisions. Wise people learn  to make a habit of making choices that are good for them and others. What better habit could you develop than the habit of making one good decision after another?

Most of us will confess that one way we have learned how to make better decisions is through the pain and frustration of bad ones. If we were smart we did some serious thinking, talked to wiser people, and did some research so as not to make the same mistake again.

How can you get into the habit of making good choices? By paying attention to these 3 steps and practicing them over and over again. 

• Get reliable information.
• Commit to act on what is right.
• Act on what you know to do.

Step 1: Get reliable information.

The first step to making good choices is doing the hard work of acquiring solid information or knowledge about the issue or subject involved. Ignorance, pride, and laziness are three of the enemies of good decisions we must overcome.

Ignorance- We don’t know what we don’t know. I knew of a young man who wanted to own a small business involving painting stripes for commercial parking lots. He had worked briefly with a man who did this work and who convinced him to buy his business.

He was sincere but had little experience dealing with customers, the details of ordering and preparing the materials for use, and acquiring customers. He acted on a whim and bought the business, but his excitement about owning his own business was short-lived.

I can relate to his sense of disappointment and frustration. Most of us have made decisions where should have taken more time to become more informed. Unfortunately, we have had to learn the value of becoming more knowledgeable because our ignorance has created considerable pain or loss.

Pride-thinking we know more than we do. Some folks are just too prideful to admit they don’t know what the need to need to know. People who are knowledgeable and worth listening to will tell you “there are no stupid questions.”

Laziness-expecting to be able to learn without putting in the work. People who make good decisions consistently know  there is a strong correlation between making an effort to get good information and good decisions.

What are reliable sources for solid spiritual decisions?

• Scriptures
• Prayer
• Counsel of wise believers
• Your pros/cons list
• Your Bible-based values
• See pages 60-61 in my book for more detail on these sources http://cosdavis.com/product/heavens-currency-investing-in-the-things-that-matter-most
• Here is a link where you can find more detail on making godly decisions.https://www.stonegableblog.com/how-to-make-tough-decisions-knowing-the-will-of-god/#:~:text=SEEK%20GOD’S%20COUNSEL%20THROUGH%20HIS,a%20wise%20and%20godly%20decision.

Step 2 : Commit to act on what is right.

If you are not willing to act on what is right, the Lord will not lead you to the good decision you need to make. The problem is that we often decide what we want to do before we ask Him what He wants us to do. I think this is what Proverbs 3: 5-6 is telling us, ” Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.”

An important part of making good decisions is a willingness to act on what is right to do. This commitment requires you to trust the Lord for the courage to face the fear and the consequences of your choice. This is a test of your character. Consistently, making good choices requires us to make a habit of committing to do what is right when we know what that is.

Step 3: Act on the good you know to do.

Making good decisions is much more difficult that making bad ones. Good decision  require the work of the will to commit to doing what is good and right. It involves seeking the right path through searching the scriptures, prayer, the counsel of wise believers and coming to terms with the possible consequences of the choice.

One step is left. Act. Step out in faith that God is leading you and will be with you in your course of action. Good information and good intentions don’t count for much unless you act on what you know to do. I’ve often said to people who are struggling to do what they know is right, “God meets us at the point of our effort.”

Acting in obedience to God’s word  puts you in the same “boat” with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Paul, our Lord Jesus, and his faithful followers through the centuries. Good decisions, as scriptures instruct us, happen when we gather good information, commit to follow the truth, and act on it, no matter the consequences.

Truth is often uncomfortable because it makes demands that require a change of thinking and acting. Sometimes it is more than uncomfortable. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, look at this picture.

In the event you may have missed it, I want to ask you to read this brief blog about choices I wrote a couple of months ago. https://www.cosdavis.com/we-are-the-product-of-our-choices/

Extra: How to Build Trust In Your Marriage: https://www.cosdavis.com/build-trust-part-one/