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James 1:5-8
Message No. 0568 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
There's a reason why vehicle manufacturers design accelerators and breaks to be operated by the same foot: it’s to avoid depressing both at the same time, because nothing can be riskier on the road than indecision. Imagine crossing a junction where you do not have the right of way but when there’s a window for you to cross, you get to the middle of the road and press both accelerator and break together. If you are blessed to be alive, you might find yourself waking up at the hospital.
We live in a world where decision making is critical, and in some cases, indecision could be fatal. I read a short article written by Steve Keating. In it, he wrote, “I’m not sure there is anything more useless than a leader who cannot or more likely, will not, make a decision.” Steve’s opening statement is a bit harsh, and even he admits it, but in the article, he continues; “As a Senior Officer in my Military High School I had the responsibility of overseeing the small-bore rifle range for a Freshman military class. One day a student’s rifle misfired, and the student turned toward me looking for instructions on what to do. (We had only explained the proper procedure 1000 times) As he turned toward me the barrel of his rifle also tuned toward me and I hesitated to give direction for a split second. That was long enough for the round in the chamber to go off striking me in the foot.”
Peter was the one disciple of Christ who was very quick at making decisions. When, in Matthew 14:22-33, the disciples saw Jesus walking toward them, on water, the Bible says that they were all afraid, thinking it was a ghost. When Jesus spoke, Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on water.” The remaining disciples were still scared, but he took a bold decision to test if indeed it was Jesus walking toward them. Everything worked well until Peter saw the wind and must now decide whether to trust God or fear the wind. His brief hesitation was long enough to trigger a deadly risk as he instantly began to sink.
Indecision is lack of faith. In James 1, verses 6 - 8, the Bible says:
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
We all make little decisions every day, such as getting up from bed when we wake up, what food to eat, who and when to visit, and so on. But when it comes to major decisions, many people are too scared and would rather delay, sometimes indefinitely. The problem is, while it is not a good idea to take decisions in a haste, it is even worse to not take decisions at all. We always exonerate ourselves by passing tough decisions to God, while God may be saying it’s your call. Think about it: what would have happened if after parting the red sea the Israelites were too scared to walk across on dry ground, and waiting for God to catapult them across the sea instead? What would have happened if when David got to the camp of Israel, he, like king Saul and the other soldiers, was too afraid to confront Goliath? What would have happened if king Solomon did not make a decision in the case of the two harlots, citing instead that he did not have all the facts?
No one wants to be wrong; I don’t. However, no one should be afraid to be wrong because fear kills initiatives. Fear kills progress. Fear kills promotion. A decision does not always mean yes, a decision can be no, also. Either of those could be correct, but no one can ever be right without making a decision. Now, unless God is leading you, it is necessary to get the facts before making decisions. It is however impossible to get all the facts about everything. As Steve Keating puts it, you need to make a decision at the point when you have all the facts that you are ever going to get. At this point, it is of no use playing the delay game and asking to wait till you have more facts. A wrong decision, people say, is better than no decision. When you make wrong decisions, you learn from them so the next decisions can be better. When you make no decisions, you learn from nothing. This is a place of stagnation, a place where other people will put you in the rear mirror. It is a place where no leader ever wishes to be.
If you are scared of making decisions, here’s a PFP formula that I suggest: Pray, get the Facts, and Pray. As God’s children, we should avoid taking major decisions without asking God. If you receive express instructions from God, proceed to follow them. If you do not receive these, get the facts and pray again. If the facts suggest going ahead and God is not asking you to stop, then I also suggest to go ahead. The fact is that God has deposited basic wisdom and decision-making qualities in every human being. People who do not know God use these qualities and many succeed greatly. We who know God have additional gifts that should help us to decide. Unfortunately, we not only fail to tap into the additional gifts, but we also fail to use the basic qualities.
If you are not familiar with decision making, you can learn. Start with the small decisions, and as you evaluate the outcomes, you would be gaining experience, and this will help you to take the next step. If you forget everything about this writing, please do not forget that sitting on the fence is not an option. Certain opportunities only present themselves once. You miss them, you miss big. As you enter this new week, may opportunities not pass you by because of indecision. May the good things in life not fly past you because you are unable to tap into them. May this week bring you great progress and excellent accomplishments. May the Almighty God bless and prosper the works of your hands in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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