Take the Fear out of Decision-Making
By Rick Warren
“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NIV)
People often fear making the wrong decision, and that creates stress.
Maybe you’re facing a decision about a major issue: Should I hold on, or should I let go? Should I get in, or should I get out? Should I get married? Should I find a new job? Should I move?
When you can’t make up your mind, you stagger through life. In fact, the Bible says in James 1 that when you remain double-minded, you become unstable in everything you do. The Greek word for unstable literally means “stagger like a drunk.”
But God says there is an antidote to your indecision. Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). You’ll be able to handle the stress of decision-making when you let God guide you.
You may be thinking, “But I’ve tried this!” You asked God to guide you, but then you became more confused than you were before. You still couldn’t figure it out. Now you wonder, “Why is knowing God’s will so difficult?”
Is God playing games with you? Of course not! God wants to guide you. He wants you to know his will more than you want to know it. The problem is you often look for the wrong thing when you’re trying to find God’s will.
For example, you may look for a feeling. You want to be swept off our feet by some emotion so you can say, “That’s how I know what God’s will is!” You may want a methodical approach to God’s will. You want someone to give you a recipe or a formula to follow. Or perhaps you take a magical approach to God’s will. You’re looking for God to do some fantastic sign—write it in the sky, call you on the phone, send you an email.
All of these ways lead to frustration and cause you to miss God’s will. God’s will is not a feeling, a formula, or something he wants you to be frustrated or fearful about.
God does not want you confused, and he does not want you to stress over making any decision. The next time you’re making a big decision, rest in the truth that God will guide you along the right paths—every step of the way.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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