MAKING RIGHT DECISIONS (2)

(Begin from the previous) http://invoiceunleashed.blogspot.com/2010/11/making-right-decisions.html

v. Never Go To War Where There Are No Spoils. Choose your battle wisely and make sure that what you fight for is worth the price you pay. Confidence in our ability to take good decision comes from within. It comes from faith, wisdom and self awareness. These are the motivators.

Fight without anything at stake is as futile as chasing the wind. Always ask yourself, “What would I gain by doing this?” The gains doesn’t necessary need to be selfish (which is the least), but let it have something productive to win, even if it has to be your own worthy contribution to mankind. Is there any gain to me or someone else in my care? “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:14)

Fighting a battle without spoil is like trying to get water to quench an empty mass burning to the ground. What have you got to save if there is no live in danger? Instead we should save our strength and energy for something else that is tangible. (1 Cor. 9:24).

It’s good to learn to use discernment and stay focused on our goals. Keeping your eyes on the prize God set for us will soon teach you there are some things not worth fighting for.

Case Study: Something motivated David before he when for Goliath (1 Sam. 17:26,27). God likewise has the whole world to gain before He sent His only Son. (John 3:16)

vi. Be Accurately Informed. Make sure you have all available fact before deciding anything. Assumption will inevitably lead to crisis.

Patience is perhaps the most difficult skill to practice when it comes to decision-making (Ps. 40:1).

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isa 40:31)

How do we remain calm and decide with patience even when pressure builds to an unbearable level. First, we must ask the right question, and must answer those questions based on the counsel of the experts (Matt. 7:7,8). Then finally, we must act when the time is right. Once you have asked and answered many questions, and have the confidence that you have most information available, then its time to act.

Even if the endeavor fail, you can relax in the knowledge that you did everything possible to make wise decision and then view it as an opportunity to learn something needed next time. In other way round, if it succeeds, you must remember the necessary steps you took so that you can repeat the process again next time.

Case Study: Before the miracle of feeding five thousand with a young lad’s lunch, Jesus worked on the available information. He first asked the question, what did was on ground? And based on that information He acted and cause multiplication. (Mark 6:37-42).

vii. Contemplate The Consequence. Consider all option and their possible result before acting on any of them.

We must learn to imagine the possible outcome of various options that we have at our disposal for any given decision. What kind of chain reaction will occur if we make this decision? How will it help fulfill or distract us from the main mission objectives? What will be its effect a year, two or five from now? Or even at the end of our lives?

When old, how would I remember this present decision? What kind of man will this decision have shaped me into by that time? How will my relationship with God be affected, with my family, friends and co-workers? Consider more “what if” questions and answers. “My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.”(Pro. 3:21-23).

Thinking through the potentials of consequence of our decisions often prevents more problems from coming. Long-term decision is always easy to make if we can clearly see the possible outcomes.

Case Study: Jesus knew the consequence of overturning the tables of the money changers and driving out those trading in the temple. He knew it will cost Him His life. No wonder He replied the Jews thereafter; “Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up” (John 2:13-21).

Shalom!

(To be continued)

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Excel D. Agboola (Pst.) is the Lead Facilitator of Newwine Missions Int’l Inc.Accra. Ghana. He is also the Country Director of Joel International in Ghana. If you have been blessed by this article, please share it with as many as possible on your friends list. We also enjoin you to keep praying for this ministry as our utmost desire is that you fulfill destiny and likewise make eternity with Christ Jesus.

MAKING RIGHT DECISIONS

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live”(Deut. 30:19)

Man was created as individual with freewill. God has set before us life and death (just the way He did for Adam an Eve in the Garden of Eden), but He urges us to choose life.

Even though our worldly minds have had so much practice operating freely that we surely don’t have to use any effort to think wrong thought, we deliberately need to continue assessing ourselves with God’s word to help us choose right thinking.

There are thousands of thoughts and beliefs that presented to us daily in which we are meant to take decision upon. The heart has to be renewed to follow after the spirit and not after the flesh. The wisdom for direction is only assessable through a renewed mind.(Eccl.10:10)

Permit me to share the following wisdom points with you as a guide to making life decisions.

i. Control Your Impulsiveness. Never make a permanent decision about a temporary situation. Learn to use self restraint and discernment.
Beware of the heat of the moment. Instead of reacting to situations, learn to respond to it. If you can keep your head above the water during the flood, then you will realize the opportunities available even in difficult and painful circumstances.
Certainly you can be angry at some situation, but also trust that there is a better opportunity opening ahead of you. As we don’t need play the blame game, so also we need not to be controlled by the moment.
It is always easy succumb to the convenience of impulsiveness. Look beyond the moment! “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Ps. 27: 13-14).

Case Study: Jesus took His time before answering the Pharisees who brought the woman caught in the act. (John 8:3-9)

ii. Beware Of Blind Spot! Make sure your emotions are not driving your decisions towards destruction. Emotional reaction can greatly hinder our ability to make effective decisions. Although we can’t separate emotions from decision making, nevertheless, it must not be the absolute measure by which we decide issues. Watch out for such emotions like anger, bitterness and envy with their great influence. Anger robs us of objectivity seeking for revenge when we should have being level-headed (Ps. 37:8-9). And after a long harbor of anger and hurts, it turns to bitterness (Heb. 12:14-15). Likewise, we need to beware of envy which has a way of associating with covetousness (2 Cor. 10:12). This makes you seek after what others have and not what is the best for you. “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16 NIV).

Case Study: Jephthah took a decision emotionally without considering the blind spot which cost him the life of her only daughter. (Judg. 11:30-35)

iii. Delegate Your Confidence. Surround yourself with people who are wise and competent. Empower them to perform and refuse to be intimidated by their expertise. The circumference of our relationship circle determines how much ground we can cover. It easy to achieve more when in the circumference of the wise. Surrounding yourself with a gifted network of responsible expert is not always easy. It requires humility and confidence. Nevertheless, when we have done our best to have them around, we are free to delegate with confidence. (Pro. 13:20; 24:6). And after we have empowered them to make the decisions they are qualified to make, then we can trust their judgment since we have already discovered their trustworthiness. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Prov 11:14NKJV)

Case Study: Jesus surrounded Himself with men from various field of life and empowers them to perform. He later sent them two by two to different cities He would later come because He has already discovered their trustworthiness. (Luke 10:1)

iv. Carefully Consider All Options And Accept Responsibility For Your Final Decision. Seek for wise counsel but sift it through your own heart before final decision is made. Pray for guidance. Do you remember the law of crossing the road? “Look left, look right and then look left again. When you are sure there is no sight or sound coming, quickly cross to the other side”. The simple rule means we must always double-check. Nowadays anyone can start a business, but it takes the wise to know when the time is right to start their kind of business. They talk to people, do research, and study the market and the competition’s products. And at the right moment, they seize the opportunity. Many often make decision without knowing all the options so that when they fail, they can have someone to blame.
Right decisions are as a result of careful analysis of all possible viewpoints and the initiative to act on your own selection.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14:28NIV)
Case Study: God at creation carefully considered all option before making the decision to allow Adam and Eve to live freely in the Garden of Eden. The probability of them eating the forbidden fruit was already taken into consideration. He took responsibility for it. He knew Satan will try them; hence He also has a plan up His sleeve to sustain His will and make a fool of the enemy. (1 Cor 2:7-8; 1 Peter 1:18-20)

Shalom!

(To be continued)

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Excel D. Agboola (Pst.) is the Lead Facilitator of Newwine Missions Int’l Inc. Accra. Ghana. He is also the Country Director of Joel International in Ghana. If you have being blessed by this article, please share it with as many as possible on your friends list. We also enjoin you to keep praying for this ministry as our utmost desire is that you fulfill destiny and likewise make eternity with Christ Jesus.