All of us have to make countless decisions throughout our lives, including course-altering ones that affect our future, such as where to live, who to marry, what career to pursue, and how to commit to our faith and participate in God’s work. Every time of challenge, testing, and trial can also be a pivotal time of decision-making. But how do we make wise decisions that will bring the best results and bear good fruit in our lives?
One of the mysteries of God’s plan for humankind is that, as beings created in His image, He has bestowed upon us the majesty of free will (Genesis 1:26–27). This includes both the ability to make decisions and the responsibility for the outcomes of those decisions. Part of our growth process as Christians is learning to discern God’s will and make godly decisions through our personal relationship with Him, our knowledge of His Word, and our love for Him and others.
Throughout life, each of us will continuously face choices between good and evil, right and wrong, whether to serve God or our own interests. In the process, we learn the benefits of loving God, patterning our lives according to His Word, and worshipping and thanking Him for His love and goodness. As grateful children of our heavenly Father, we have the privilege of believing in Him, trusting in Him and His Word, and experiencing His blessings as we seek to walk in His will and bring glory to Him through our lives (Romans 10:9–10).
Accepting Jesus as our Savior and receiving His gift of salvation is the most important decision we can make in this life, as it determines our eternal standing in relationship to God and His kingdom. Once we give our life to Christ, it is the start of a new life, and we are faced with numerous other decisions on a daily basis.
For Christians, making decisions starts with learning to discern God’s will, what God knows will be the best choice in the situation. Only God knows what is going to happen, and only He can see the whole picture—the past, present, and future. He has promised in His Word to instruct and guide us: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you” (Psalm 32:8 NIV).
Discerning the will of God is meant to be a relational process, involving ourselves and God. In the book of Isaiah, we read, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18), indicating God’s desire to communicate with us. A starting point for finding God’s will and making good decisions is committing all our ways to Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV). “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will act” (Psalm 37:5).
If we are striving to walk in close relationship with the Lord, in obedience to the teachings in the Bible, and truly seeking His will for our lives, we can trust that God will guide us and place His desires in our heart. The Bible teaches, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). But the starting point is to reverence God and desire His will above all else. We should go into decision-making with the same mindset that Jesus did, when He prayed to His Father saying: “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
The Bible teaches us a cornerstone principle for discerning God’s will in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Finding God’s will and making godly decisions starts with the Word of God, as we seek to learn and walk in His ways, the teachings in His Word, and to live according to His precepts. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
As we make daily choices to pattern our lives after the Bible’s teachings, He has promised to grant us wisdom to make good decisions. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). Sometimes God will speak to us through a certain verse or passage from Scripture, which seems as if it were written just for the situation we are facing. Sometimes God speaks to our heart in a “still small voice” or a whisper, guiding us into His will and truth. (See 1 Kings 19:11–13 NKJV.)
You may have an inner conviction that something you are praying about is God’s will. In your heart you just know that a certain decision or action is the will of God and what you’re supposed to do or not do. His Word says, “Your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21 NIV). At times God may speak to us in a dream or through a Bible verse to give us specific guidance, which we can then seek further confirmation for.
When seeking God’s will in a decision, it is often wise to ask others for their guidance as well. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” Of course, it is important to weigh the counsel of others and to seek confirmations when making important decisions for greater assurance that the decision is the right one.
If something is God’s will, He will often open the door to make it possible. We can ask ourselves, “Which direction is God leading or opening the way and the means to do it?” Granted, circumstances and opportunities are not necessarily the primary criteria for making godly decisions, but they can be an indication of how the Lord is leading. Sometimes the Lord directs us by closing one door and opening another. God may orchestrate certain setups and situations as He guides us according to His plan and what He knows will be best for our lives.
An important factor in our decision-making is that we seek to make decisions that will accomplish God’s purposes and bring glory to Him. The Bible says: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV). His Word teaches us to make decisions that reflect His goodness and promote justice: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
Once you’ve made your decision, commit it to the Lord and trust Him to act according to His good purposes. If you’ve done your best to make your decision with prayer and biblical counsel, have faith in God for the outcome (Hebrews 11:6). If your decision proves to be mistaken down the road or needs a change in direction, admit your mistake and ask God to guide and redirect your path.
What a comfort it is to know that we can discern God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). As we seek to walk in His will and dwell in His presence, we are in the safest place to be in this world. Even if war breaks out around us, or we endure personal tragedy or loss, or face the inevitable storms of life, we will always be safe in God’s hands and can trust Him to guide us and keep us.
God bless you!—And He will as you study the Bible, seek to make godly decisions, walk in His will, follow Him and love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).