Making Good Decisions...Simplified

    I made a decision almost three decades ago that has taken the difficulty out of a lot of other decisions since. I decided to marry Linda. Since that decision, most of my other decisions in and around the house are pretty well taken care off. I only need to ask myself, what would be better for our marriage?
    So even though my desk is usually pretty cluttered at work, I’m neat, clean, and organized at home. Why? Because Linda doesn’t really care what my desk at work looks like, but she likes it neat and clean at home, so that’s how I like it as well. All week long, dozens of decisions are easy for me because I know what Linda likes and I want her to be happy. When I said, “I do,” that meant spending my life thinking about what she wants more than what I want. And she does the same. Not only has it made for a good marriage, it has simplified my decision-making process. I don’t have to stew over a lot of stuff at home. I made most of those decisions twenty-seven years ago when I made the decision to become Linda’s husband.
    It’s the same with my Christian life. I don’t fret over a lot of decisions I see many other Christians struggling with. I made most of those decisions when I was 17 and Jesus took charge of my life. So now I just ask, “What does Jesus think about this?” “What does the Bible say?” “What does God want?”
    I don’t have to stew over moral dilemmas. I know he doesn’t want me to lie, steal, badmouth others, or have sex outside of marriage, even if it seems like a unique situation and I think I’d be better off by doing those things. No, I already made the decision to do what God wants when I said, “Yes” to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Not that I’m never tempted to do wrong. I’m tempted just like everybody, and I fail sometimes. But I don’t have to fret, “Oh, what should I do?” I know what to do. Whatever God has said or whatever would be pleasing to Him. Those decisions were made when I became a follower of Jesus thirty-four years ago.
    I know, we face a lot of other dilemmas that are not addressed in Scripture. But you know what, it’s not those things that get us into trouble. If you take care of the obvious. If you do what God wants where ii’s addressed in Scripture, the more obscure quandaries take care of themselves. And in those secondary matters, if you do the right things in the primary matters, you’ll be fine even if you make some mistakes in the secondary matters. Wisdom in life starts by living it in light of what is pleasing to the Lord.
    Maybe you are having so much trouble with making decisions because you were not serious about the most important ones. Get serious about what you said in your vows and your marriage will get easier. Ask yourself if Jesus is really Lord of your life...are you really living to please Him? Once you get that taken care of, the right-wrong “what should I do?” questions get settled. When you stop justifying and excusing and just do what you know God wants, the rest of life starts to make sense.
    That’s what Proverbs 16:3-4 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end” (NIV11).