Shelbyville Seventh-day Adventist Church

God will give you wisdom to make good decisions—if you ask Him to. It’s in the Bible, James 1:5, NKJV. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Look to God—not yourself—for guidance and good judgment. It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

The Holy Spirit can guide you into the right decision for the future. It’s in the Bible, John 16:13, NKJV. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

God will help you make good decisions if you are humble. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 25:9, NKJV. “The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.”

God uses the Bible to reveal what way to go.  It’s in the Bible, Psalm 119:105, NKJV. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

To make sound decisions, you must first get the facts. It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 18:13, NKJV. “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.”

Being open to new ideas is an important part of making good decisions. It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 18:15, NKJV. “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”

In order to make good decisions, you must be willing to look at both sides of an issue. It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 18:17, TLB. “Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight.”

Prayer helps decision-making. Jesus used this method before choosing the disciples. It's in the Bible, Luke 6:12, NIV. "One of those days Jesus went out into the hills to pray, and spent the night praying to God."

Be open to the counsel of godly friends. It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 15:22, NKJV. “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

Consider all the needs to finish the job. It’s in the Bible, Luke 14:28-32, NKJV. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.”

We should make decisions based on the counsel we find in God’s Word. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 119:9-10, NKJV. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 8:20, NKJV. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Seek God first and He’ll take care of the rest. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 6:33-34, NKJV. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Don’t worry so much on what you don’t have, trust God and He’ll give you the blessings you need most. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 37:3-5, NKJV. “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

Chase after God with all your heart and you’ll be exactly where you need to be. It’s in the Bible, Jeremiah 29:11-13, NKJV. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

When God leads, He is always at our side, even when we make mistakes. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 37:23, NKJV. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

Our decisions should be for God’s glory, and not our selfish pleasures. It’s in the Bible, James 4:3, NKJV. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

If you honestly are interested in doing God’s will, He will show you what to do. It’s in the Bible, John 7:17, NKJV. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”