We make decisions every day.
What we will wear, eat, who our friends are going to be, where we’re going to live, what Netflix show we’re going to watch or not watch. The list is endless.
But one of the most common questions we’re faced with is: What will you do with your life?
It’s a big question.
As followers of Christ, our answer is straightforward: glorify and love God and love others – it’s why he created us (Mark 12:30-31).
While the Bible is a roadmap to how we should live, it doesn’t exactly tell us what job we should take, where we should move, or who we should marry.
So, how do we know if we’re making the right decisions?
You’ve probably heard the quote by Alexander Graham Bell, “When one door closes, another one opens.”
But what if more than one door is open and neither option seems wrong? Or, what if no doors are open at all?
These decisions are big and life-changing. And on top of that, we may not have much time to decide. We’re terrified of making the wrong decision, which can be paralyzing.
Not only do we have to navigate making a decision, but we also have to navigate all of our very real emotions that come with it. In all of the uncertainty and anxiety, one thing is true: the unknown is never comfortable.
But sometimes, we’re so focused on making the wrong decision that we forget to open our eyes and see what God is doing in the opportunities right in front of us.
What if God’s will for our lives is that we would be present in each moment and seek to glorify him in everything we do? What if his will for us is to trust that he has given us the wisdom and discernment to make choices rooted in his Word?
This is an idea that Paul presents in his letter to the Corinthians.
During this time, the city of Corinth was at the heart of a significant trade route. It was known for its religious diversity, immorality, and corruption.
Surrounded by this glorified immorality and different cultural influences, the church in Corinth started to divide on issues.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in 55 A.D. to address this and provide clarity to the church.
One of the issues Paul addresses is food offered to idols. Some of the believers in Corinth did not see it as a sin, while others did.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul clearly states that, since there is only one God and other gods do not exist, eating food offered to idols is not a sin.
“Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (2 Corinthians 8:8).
It sounds like he’s taking sides, right?
But then he goes on to recognize the real struggle that some believers have. Many of these believers once offered food to idols before becoming Christians, and eating the food weighed heavily on their conscience.
Paul says that those who do not have a problem eating the food are causing their brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble.
He concludes:
“Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brothers stumble” (2 Corinthians 8:12-13).
In this passage, Paul states neither decision is wrong. But then he goes deeper by asking, is it serving others? And, if you’re causing other believers to stumble, is it God-honoring?
While we aren’t often faced with whether or not to eat food offered to idols, this is a great roadmap to how we should approach decision-making.
Where are you at a crossroads in your life? Maybe you’re deciding between two jobs or wondering where you should move. Similar to the issue in Corinth, maybe neither decision is wrong. So, how do you decide?
Ask God for wisdom and discernment (James 1:5). Pray, read Scripture, and ask people you trust for guidance.
While the Bible doesn’t tell you where to move or who to marry, it does tell you what posture you should live your life – in humble servitude to God. And when we find ourselves fully surrendered to his will and truth, we discover true purpose and guidance.
God equips us to make decisions by giving us wisdom, discernment, passions, and people in our lives. Don’t get so caught up in what he wants you to do that you miss what he’s doing in your life right now. Maybe God’s will for us isn’t necessarily in our decisions but in our journey.
Next time you have to make a difficult decision, instead of asking what you should do, consider asking yourself this: How can I love and serve God and others in this decision?
Focus on living a life fully devoted to Christ and watch how it transforms every area of your life.
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-10).
Kali Gibson is the editor-in-chief for So We Speak and a copywriter for the Youversion Bible App.
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