I Know God’s Will, and so Should You – How to Make Decisions that Please God

“So what lead you to that decision?” I inquired

“Well I prayed about this week, and God gave me peace about it,” he replied.

I have had this conversation countless times.  It is not uncommon in our Christian circles to hear this answer as a guiding principle for making small or big decisions.  Indeed, if this is how Christians are to make decisions the triviality or magnitude of the decisions should not be a factor.

So does the Bible teach us that this is how we are to make decisions?

Forgive me for asking this question.  I know that this practice is commonly accepted among Believers, and we all know many godly men and women who have made life decisions by whether or not they have peace about it, but as we seek godly wisdom, we must be careful not to confuse followers of Christ with Christ Himself.  We are ultimately to follow Jesus and not man (even those who profess to be following Christ).  So then, how do we distinguish the difference between Christ and His followers?

The church in Berea (Acts 17:11) was honored by the Apostle Paul because after he taught them,  they tested what he said with the Word of God.  Likewise the Scriptures are to be the only ultimate authority to instruct, teach, correct, and rebuke the Christian’s practice.

So back to my original question, does the Bible teach this method as the guiding principle to making decisions?  If so,  how do we define peace?  Is peace merely a feeling, something subjective?  Is peace something objective, that can be measured and challenged by others.  Are our decisions a “me and Jesus” type of thing?  Or does the community of God have a role in our decisions?

I will attempt to answer these questions and hopefully more in a new series that I am beginning.  Your comments and questions are always welcomed.

God bless,

Stephen