Making decisions is one of the constant and critical things you will do in life. Decisions are not all equal. Some decisions are small and require no careful thought because of their negligible impact. In contrast, other decisions are huge and require careful consideration because of their far-reaching consequences. However, no matter your daily decisions, one thing is sure; your decisions decide your destiny. Someone once said, “you are born looking like your parents, but you will die looking like the decisions you made in life.”
One of the things that will make 2023 fulfilling is the kind of decisions you will make this year. God has given you the free will to make decisions and shape your lives. At the end of this year, you cannot blame God for the kind of year you had because He has given you the ability to decide to have the year you desire. So you can choose to have a great or bad year! It’s all up to you!
Indecision or poor decisions indicate a need for an effective decision-making process. You can learn to make the right decision from your past mistakes and experiences, or better still; You can decide to set a structure for making the right decisions and prevent decisions that will become regrets in the future.
Steps to help you make the right decisions in 2023:
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Set a system and a structure for yourself:
The first step in making the right decisions is choosing to have a structure and setting a principle of subjecting every decision to a decision-making process. You must develop a personal system from God’s word binding on all your decisions, whether great or small.
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Ask God:
Turn every decision to the Lord in prayer to know his mind. Look inward to your spirit. I have discovered that the Lord loves it when you ask to know his mind about every detail of your life. Instead of rushing to do what you think is right, please pause before making any decision this year and ask God what He would have you do. Prov 3:6 instructs us to acknowledge and listen to his voice in all your ways, and he will direct your paths. Before you make any decision this year, please take a moment and pray about it and hear God first.
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Think and ponder:
Think about the matter, turning it over and over in your mind. God has given us the gift of thinking; please maximize it. To think and brood over a matter is considering what you are about to do. While thinking, ideas and solutions are birthed. Some poor decisions can be avoided this year if only you take the time to think carefully. Prov 13:16(NLT) says: Wise people think before acting; fools don’t and even brag about their foolishness. Joseph prevented a bad decision by just stopping to consider the matter.
According to Matthew 1:20, as Joseph considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. When you think and consider a matter prayerfully, you give God time to show you what to do. Prov 21:5 (MSG) states that careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry put you further behind. Prov 19:2 states that desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses the way. Some decisions made in haste can put you further behind in life. Please think before making decisions regarding any area of your life this year.
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Probe the matter and gather facts:
Ask Questions and obtain knowledge about the situation. You must learn to make informed decisions, not random or blind decisions. As a Registered Nurse, one of my greatest successes in venipuncture is learning to feel the vein before I stick a patient. I have discovered that 95% of the time, when I do a blind stick(that is, not feeling or being sure a vein is there), I always miss it. That tells you that your chances of making the right decisions without having some vital information are minimal. You can’t risk it! You must gather the facts and the numbers; consider the pattern and the future consequences. This reminds me of what Jesus said to do before building a house or a tower in Luke 14:28-30; he said to count the cost before you even start. Weigh the matter.
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Time and chance:
Critical life and death situations may not allow you to think and consider the facts; you must trust the Lord to help you make the right decisions. Good thinking, praying, and planning executed at the wrong time will make a poor decision. Learn the art of the right timing. This can only happen by discernment! You must train your spirit to be sensitive to see what others may not be able to see physically.
You must learn to walk by the spirit and be able to sense or perceive a matter in your spirit. In Acts 27:10, Paul could see with his spirit that there would be a shipwreck on their journey; He just knew by the spirit. There are things you will never know by gathering the information. You can only know them because your spirit has been trained to discern things spiritually. Investing in your spirit is one of your most significant investments this year. Train your spirit through prayer, the word, intentional listening, and fellowshipping with the Holy Ghost.
I hope this blessed you! I welcome you to 2023, a year of making the right decisions in Jesus name! Amen!
To read my previous blog click: There is Hope for You
If you are considering making decisions on relocation, check out this blog: Leave your Country. A Biblical Guidance for Relocation.
