HOW TO MAKE WISE AND GODLY DECISIONS.
(My Bible Reflection-FAZ)
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: 2 Timothy 3:16–17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”
INTRODUCTION:
Researchers at Cornell University estimate we make 226.7 decisions each day on food alone. And as your level of responsibility increases, so does the multitude of choices you have to make. It’s estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Each decision, of course, carries certain consequences with it that are both good and bad.
But in our decisions, do we make wise and godly decisions? This is important because every decision has its impact or consequence in our lives.
In this reflection, I will share with you how to make wise, right and godly decisions in our lives everyday based on 2 Tim. 3:16-17.
The said passage sounds familiar because it teaches about the inspiration of the Holy Scripture. The Bible is indeed a supernatural book because it is God-breathed. But having made this point, Paul now tells us what it means, practically speaking, for our lives.
Paul informs us how to put the Bible to good use in our daily experience. Note carefully the four gerunds (-ing words) in verse 16: TEACHING, REBUKING, CORRECTING, and TRAINING.
THE RECIPE FOR BECOMING WISE A PERSON.
According to Bible scholars, the said passage tells us that these four action words fall into two neat categories.
The first two action words TEACHING and REBUKING, describe the Bible’s impact on our beliefs. It teaches us sound doctrine (i.e., truths about God and His ways) and it rebukes any erroneous thinking of ours.
The second two words CORRECTING and TRAINING address the Bible’s impact on our behavior. The Bible corrects any misconduct and trains us to act in a God-pleasing manner.
THE END RESULT: YOU ARE EQUIPPED TO MAKE WISE DECISIONS.
The end result of all this input from God’s Word is that we are “EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.” This is the RECIPE for becoming a wise person that we’ve been looking for!
The Bible is able to shape our beliefs and our behaviors so that we become people whose lives are marked by fruitful service to God—wise people. And wise people are able to make wise decisions. They are able to answer the question: What is the wise thing to do? Sometimes the answer to that question will be explicit in the Bible. Some verse will very directly say, regarding the decision you are facing, Do this or Don’t do that.
WHEN MAKING DECISIONS ON GRAY AREAS OR MATTERS.
But even when the Bible does not clearly address the specifics of your situation, it will still prepare you to make a wise decision by making you a wise person. For example, should I invest in this kind of business? Should I marry this person who is courting me? What college course or major should I take after high school? Should I migrate to other country? Should I work as an OFW? Should I accept this offer from my work? Should I take this job but requires relocating my family to another place? Should I stay in this place as my permanent residence? Should I enroll in the College of Law or just take masteral degree in my profession? Should I resign from my employment and engage in full-time Christian ministry?
There’s no verse in the Bible that says yes or no to those questions. However, if you are saturating your life with God’s Word, you will be able to make wise decisions in cases like these because you will be a WISE PERSON.
SATURATE YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WORD
The key is to saturate your life with God’s Word. Begin now. Don’t wait until you’re staring an important but daunting decision in the face. You won’t be able to become wise in that instant. You will already be wise or not be wise, depending on how much time you’ve been investing in your Bible. I think it was the great nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon who said that we should immerse ourselves in Scripture until our blood becomes bibling. I like that.
The same thing could be said of our personal lives. If we’re suddenly faced with a big decision and desperately want to know God’s will for our lives, frantically flipping through the Bible for explicit directions will probably not yield favorable results. However, if we are becoming wise people by constant exposure to God’s Word, we will most likely make wise decisions.
The Bible reveals to us God’s attributes, God’s salvation, and God’s will. This is a summary of what theologians are referring to when they talk about the doctrine of revelation.
THE CHALLENGE -
Brethren, have you read your Bible today? Do you read your Bible everyday so that you can become a wise person? Do it regularly and you will see how it will impact and influence your daily decision in your Christian journey.
God bless us all
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