Decisions

Each Tuesday for 12 weeks a group of us meet at my house who are working our way through the Bible in 90 days. I know I have mentioned this before but each Tuesday morning when I wake up I am so tickled to get to meet with these ladies and visit about what we have read over the past week. You know how you can each hear the same lesson, or read the same book but every person gets something different our of what they have heard or read based on what their experience is or what they are dealing with in life. We started out with 16 people and now a few have had to resign due to family commitments that are truly overwhelming. The initial desire was there but things come up that cause us to have to prioritize our time differently. And many times we have to sacrifice what we want to do...for what we know is right to do.

Those kinds of choices seem to be before us at every turn. So how is that you make your decision....how do you weigh your priorities? Lots of times we make decisions based on a loyalty to someone else...or an already established time commitment, or the seizing of a fleeting opportunity...but how many times do we take it upon ourselves to make the decision instead of ever asking for a little guidance from the Holy Spirit? It may sound silly...but I have found that when I do remember to consult Christ...I have found that there are always unexpected blessings if I yield to his lead. And how do I know that he is leading...By this....asking and then faithfully going forwards in one direction or another.....watching for cues, listening to your heart....and being willing to make an adjustment if something continues to tug at you to go in a different direction.

God does listen...and he will participate in any part of our lives that we invite him to be a part of. But too many times we consider whatever it is to be too insignificant to involve him in or too little to bother him with. I am learning in my wise old years that God loves it when I ask him about the insignificant things...it keeps him involved and keeps me connected to Him in my daily wanderings to and fro. And on a side note...maybe God likes the break of only being entrusted with the major league events....and he too wants to help make decisions that are on our everyday scale of behavior and decisions.

The way I figure it is that most of our bIg decisions are ultimately made up of a bunch of small experiences that have evolved
over the years...so if we keep Christ centered in all of our decisions then when the big ones come...we will already be acquained with how he specifically works in each of our lives.

We do make plans...and many of them are good ones at that with worthy intentions and also ones that would glorify our Lord....and represent behavior or deeds that would bring attention to godly and moral standards...but God sees things that we do not see....and what is sometimes important to us God and we think might be important to him....he sees no true value in.
God helps us to establish our priorities that bring him glory through his Holy Spirit. But we have to ask for his lead and then be listening and watching His cues as to which direction he would want us to go or which decision he would want us to make. His choices for us are best...for he knows what lies ahead...and is well versed on what has past.

Today when you are wavering on what to do with a decision that is tugging on your heart...start by asking God...what he wants you to do...and listen carefully..ask for clarity...and then begin advancing forward on what you feel is righ in the eyes of God if it is not and you are sincerely seeking his will...he will nudge you through your heart or through a closed door or a detour to change your thinking.

But one thing I have leaned in making decision...is that God is interrested first in relationships....then in tasks. And second is God is also interested in long term effects and not just fleetinig temporal ones. When you are in a a quandry as to what to do....ask God ...and then trust him...and try to put any self centered motives on a shelf and let his God centered ones take the lead.

One of the lessons that we learned in one of our Bible in 90 days video through Jack Modesett was this:


Three ways human beings approach life

1) Mans work - mans way - humanism

2) God's works - mans way - religion
3) God's work - God's way - Christian Life - relying only of the power of the Holy Spirit made available to us through the Holy Spirit

May your decisions today be made in prayer....led by the Holy Spirit and...and blessed by the hand of God. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!

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www.cathyjodeit.com

The blog link below has all devotionals from the beginning of the year:

http://simplygod-cathy.blogspot.com/