In life we make many decisions. Most times they are of a less significant nature but sometimes they can change the course of our life or the lives of others. Often those decisions are not between good and bad but better and best. How do we know what choice is best? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I asked a driver once; “what it was about NHMS’s Magic Mile that he liked”. He said that it was the driving that excited him. “You have to drive your butt off.” He shared that you are consumed by the experience and you have to be focused for every turn and every lap. That implies that If you lose focus you will make the wrong decision and things will not go well.

In life we struggle with getting things in order so that our day-to-day activities will run smoothly. We try to position ourselves so that we can handle daily events without having to face too many struggles. Then life happens, something out of your control and the circumstances are changed. We lose focus.

What do we settle for? Good, what do we adjust? Better, what do we change? Best, who do we turn to?

The decisions we make in those times reveal who we really trust. It is the decisions we make when the challenges of life come at us that determines who we have faith in. What do we do when we have to choose? Whose advice do we seek when a decision needs to be made? Where do we turn for direction?

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus suggested we turn to God.

Matthew 7:7-11; NLT; “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Let’s look at those three options;

Good; making adjustments, looking at things from a different perspective can help us, adjusting our focus and expectation is a good start.

Better; making changes, actually doing something other than thinking about something. When we change our behavior and attitude it influences our circumstances. We can see a change in ourselves and others.

Best; Turning to God for his guidance, direction, adjustments and changes. If we depend on our own understanding to make decisions we will not be doing the best thing we can. Our understanding is lacking compared to God. The best thing we can do is turn to God and seek His guidance and direction. Then follow it!

Don’t settle for good when best is what we need. Have you ever wondered why we turn to God as a last resort? Why don’t we do what is best first? Maybe there are some things that get in the way, pride and ego come to mind.

When faced with these questions, turning to God is always the best choice. When we seek Him out and ask Him for guidance He will provide it. The amazing thing is it doesn’t matter who we are. He will answer us with the right guidance. Listen to what James says:

James 1:5; If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

We all lack the wisdom to know what the right choice is and we should ask God. God gives generously without finding fault. That means it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done, God will give you the best answer. But, we must listen to the answer and follow God’s direction.

The caveat is we need to know God. We need to be able to understand God’s voice. This is accomplished by having a relationship with Him. The depth of our relationship is revealed in our ability to understand God’s wisdom and guidance. God will provide the best guidance and direction. Are we close enough to Him to understand and follow?

Our willingness to follow the direction of someone is dependent on how well we know and trust their advice. If you don’t know God and don’t have a relationship with Him it will be difficult to hear Him, let alone trust Him. If our relationship is superficial, without depth, we will not understand and trust Him.

The writer of Proverbs puts it this way;

Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

We get it right when we follow God without trying to think it through first. God will guide us and direct us in the path that is right. God promises to guide us and give us the best answer, the right direction. That is the best decision we can make.

Blessings,

Pastor Don