Six Steps for Wise Decision-Making

In Proverbs 28:26 I read, “A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe.”

(TLB)

I’ve started looking at how God takes me through the Six Phases of Faith—a dream, decision, delay, difficulty, dead end, and deliverance, over and over again, to help grow my faith and to develop my character.

The second phase God uses to grow my faith is when I decide to follow the dream I believe God has given me. Nothing will happen with my dream until I move forward in faith!

God gave Moses the dream of leading the children of Israel out of 400 years of slavery—but Moses had to make the decision to confront Pharaoh. 

God gave Noah the dream of saving the world from the flood—but Noah had to make the decision to build the ark. 

God gave Abraham the dream of building a new nation—but Abraham had to make the decision to leave everything and go out into the unknown.

Just like these people in the Bible, I’ll never realize God’s dream for my life until I come to the stage of decision-making and choose to step out in faith.

There is a simple, workable plan for making wise decisions that will keep me on track in pursuing God’s dream for my life. 

1. Pray for guidance.

Before I do anything else, get God’s perspective on the issue. “A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe” (Proverbs 28:26 TLB).

2. Get the facts.

There is no contradiction between faith and fact. Find out everything I can before I make a decision. Proverbs 13:16 says, “All who are prudent act with knowledge” (NIV). 

3. Ask for advice.

Talk to somebody who’s made a similar decision and to friends who know my weaknesses. “The more good advice you get, the more likely you are to win” (Proverbs 24:6 GNT).

4. Calculate the cost.

Every decision has a price tag; it may cost me time, money, energy, reputation, talents, or resources. Proverbs 20:25 says, “It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows” (NIV). When others pressure me to make a decision, it’s okay to say, “I’ll get back to you.” It’s more important to make a wise decision than a quick one. 

5. Prepare for problems.

In faith, expect the best. Expect that God is working in my life. But also prepare for the problems that are part of every decision. Solomon said in Proverbs 22:3, “A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (TLB).

6. Face your fears.

Perfectionism paralyzes potential. God has always used imperfect people in imperfect situations to accomplish his will. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (TLB). In spite of my problems, doubts, or fears, trust God and start moving in the direction of my dream.

In the past I have reached out to God for direction on big decisions, however, recently I may not have been doing the same. I need to get back into that practice. I also need to consider that there is a difference to just taking a leap of faith vs. taking biblical steps. 

Out of the six listed above, I need to get back into the practice of praying for guidance and asking for advice. On this last one, I think it’s directly related to not really having a close group of friends who can provide me feedback on my weaknesses.   

Father, I ask you today for help in trusting you in every step of my faith journey.