[Originally published in The Fort Bend Herald]<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Perhaps the most common question a pastor is asked counsel on is simply, \u201cwhat should I do?\u201d\u00a0 Many decisions that life throws at us are difficult.\u00a0 Options have widely varying potential outcomes.\u00a0 How can one know what the results of a decision will be?<\/p>\n
While this is a complex issue this article has not enough space to answer fully, I\u2019d like to focus on the very first question that should always be asked when making a difficult decision.\u00a0 Many times, this one question is all that need be asked; as it will render null and void all further potential circumstances.<\/p>\n
That question is simply, \u201cis this really my decision?\u201d\u00a0 What is meant by the question is, \u201cdo I already have instructions on what I should choose (that perhaps I\u2019m actually trying to avoid)?\u201d<\/p>\n
Christians overwhelmingly claim to have a biblical worldview and follow a biblical model of faith, practice and morality.\u00a0 Yet, I\u2019m surprised how often I\u2019m asked about a decision that has already been made for those of us who claim such a position.\u00a0 My experience is that people sometimes seek counsel because they are looking for \u201cpermission\u201d of sorts, that they may in fact make the wrong choice with the blessing of someone else.\u00a0 However, if I have a clear scriptural teaching on a subject, the answer to question one, for me, is \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n
We who claim allegiance to Christ accept his terms that \u201cif you love me you will keep my commands.\u201d\u00a0 In short, we have the overwhelming volume of God\u2019s Word which already answers so many of life\u2019s decisions very plainly.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I misrepresent my marital status on my tax forms to save money?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cShould I lie to someone when asked a question, which when answered, might make them upset?\u201d\u00a0 These are not my decisions.\u00a0 They have already been made for me as one who bears Christ\u2019s name and trusts his previously-given instructions.<\/p>\n
In short, if there is a clear, biblical, \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong\u201d to follow, my decision should be already made.\u00a0 I should to what is right.\u00a0 No further consideration is needed.<\/p>\n
While most believers agree in principle with this sentiment, they tend to begin to weigh outcomes rather than to act in faith when doing the right thing might cause some personal harm or inconvenience.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if doing the right thing gets me fired?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhat if the right thing costs me a relationship?\u201d\u00a0 The truth is, we are temporal beings with no vision of the future.\u00a0 We simply cannot know with any degree of certainty what the outcome of any decision will be.\u00a0 We might do what we think<\/i> will cause the best outcome only to be surprised that it did not turn out as expected.\u00a0 Believers are not given the burden of such considerations when a clear biblical right and wrong are at stake.\u00a0 We are called to choose what is right and let God sort out his own results.<\/p>\n
Such is the nature of the lives of those who we consider heroes of our faith.\u00a0 In Acts 7, Stephen died for doing the right thing; as did Christ himself in the gospel accounts.\u00a0 And, in both cases, even though the right action brought about an undesirable temporal consequence, I never hear anyone preach a sermon on \u201chow Jesus may not have died\u201d or \u201cStephen\u2019s big mistake.\u201d\u00a0 It is clear to us that it was God\u2019s plan for these events \u2013 both the results of a right action \u2013 to bring further glory to himself; even though quite undesirable at the time.<\/p>\n
Paul noted in Philippians 3:8 (ESV),<\/i><\/b> This same Paul died at the hands of Nero for his unyielding faith.\u00a0 We consider him a foundational example of what it means to serve Christ to the fullest.\u00a0 Why should we necessarily expect a story book ending to our own cause of serving Christ?\u00a0 On the other hand, after being imprisoned for his faith, Peter was miraculously freed (Acts 12). One simply cannot know what God has in store for a faithful decision.\u00a0 But that result is His alone.\u00a0 That, frankly, is what it means to have faith in God: not that He will do what we want \u2013 but that He will do as He wants.<\/p>\n Obviously, not every decision in life involves simple \u201cright or wrong\u201d as potential choices.\u00a0 But sometimes it truly is that straightforward.\u00a0 If scripture teaches a clear right and wrong in a given context, then for me, question one should be considered as \u201canswered.\u201d\u00a0 This is not my decision.\u00a0 It has already been made by He who I claim to trust and follow \u2013 to whatever end may come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [Originally published in The Fort Bend Herald] \u00a0Perhaps the most common question a pastor is asked counsel on is simply, \u201cwhat should I do?\u201d\u00a0 Many decisions that life throws at us are difficult.\u00a0 Options have widely varying potential outcomes.\u00a0 How can one know what the results of a decision will be? While this is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"series":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1315"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/returningking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fseries&post=1315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n8 <\/sup>\u00a0Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.<\/i><\/p>\n