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11th April 2025
FridayReflection
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Mary Rooney Armand
a writer and speaker focusing on inspiring
faith-based stories
Trusting God in Making Decisions
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Is it possible to get better at trusting God in making decisions?
Does God care about every decision you make?
When making decisions, can you learn to release control and believe God will guide you?
Most of us probably circle around these questions, especially when making a decision, and we all make decisions - all of the time.
There are situations where we make decisions easily and automatically but other situations require time and analysis.
I don't ask God about every decision I make, although some people do.
But there are still many opportunities for me to practice trusting God in making decisions.
What about you?
Do you enjoy decision-making? Do you pray about your decisions?
Is it easy to trust God in making decisions?
The Bible says God loves and cares deeply about every part of us.
Trusting God in making decisions always leads to the best outcome.
"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God!"
.... Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG
Because decision-making requires sifting through opinions and choices, we won't agree on how to make Godly decisions in every situation.
We weigh the benefits and costs of our choice, and then we cope with the consequences.
Factors that limit the ability to make good decisions, include missing or incomplete information, urgent deadlines, and limited physical or emotional resources."
When learning how to make Godly decisions, it is important to learn how to harness fear.
Fear serves a valuable purpose in decision-making to keep us safe from harm.
But too often fear is the only reason we say no to choices that may be right for us.
One of the ways to address fear is to ask yourself if fear of an outcome is the only reason you are saying no.
Asking God, and others, for guidance can trump the power fear has over you and help you trust God in making decisions.
When my husband and I had been married for a couple of years, I had to decide between a new career or starting a family.
I did not have the emotional resources to launch both at the same time.
I began praying for God to guide me and direct my path.
One day while driving, I felt a strong sense of peace to start a family and put the career move on hold for a while.
I still remember the strong sense of God's presence guiding that decision, and the choice became clear.
Many decisions require us to wait, even when we don't want to.
But if we feel unease, don't have a clear direction, and can wait to decide, it may be the best way to trust God in making decisions.
Sometimes you have to decide before you are ready.
But moving forward aware of your own weakness is when trusting God in making decisions is important.
This is when your faith grows and you become aware of God's abiding presence.
When you ask God to help you to make the best decision under the circumstances, you have to surrender, step out in faith and decide.
You make what you think is the best choice knowing that if you make a mistake, God is beside you and will help redeem the consequences.
Trusting God to redeem mistakes will encourage you and others to live in faith and not in fear.
When wondering how do I ask God to make the right decision, three helpful steps are prayer, reading the Bible, and seeking advice from wise people.
These steps are particularly significant when a big decision is weighing on your spirit.
We can pray specifically to make the best decision.
When making decisions we can ask God to reveal the right decision through a sense of peace, or a confirmation of some kind.
Confirmation can come in many ways but is usually paired with the next two steps; scripture and wise counsel.
Sometimes the choice is made clear but other times the best choice is to wait.
"Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvellous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own."
.... Jeremiah 33:3 MSG
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Mary Rooney Armand
is a writer and speaker focusing on inspiring faith-based stories. She helps others grow in their intimacy with Jesus.
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"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Jesus displaces worry at the centre of your life."
.... Philippians 4:6-7 MSG
Reading scripture when making decisions brings peace.
In Job's prayer, he beautifully summarises why God is the best place for advice:
"You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. In the past, I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes."
.... Job 42:4-5 GNT
The Bible is filled with stories of people for us to learn from.
Here are three examples of decision-making in the Bible that give us insight into how to trust God in making decisions.
The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 features three characters who had to make decisions; a father and his two sons.
Similarly, in our lives, many of our decisions weave amongst others.
Rarely does making a decision impact only one person.
I love the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8.
It is the tale of a timid ruler and prophet who accomplished extraordinary things because he trusted God in making decisions.
Gideon sought God during every step of fulfilling his call to lead the Israelites into battle against the Midianites.
Although Gideon sought God's guidance and prompting for each step and obeyed the call, he probably did many things of which he was afraid.
Isn't that how it is for us too?
We feel confident in our choice but are still afraid to proceed.
Trusting God in making decisions strengthens our resolve and helps us face obstacles courageously.
The story of David and Goliath is a favourite bible story;
how a small shepherd boy conquers a threatening giant and saves a nation.
David decided to listen and obey his father and approach the battle zone.
David decided to fight the giant using his gifts.
David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
These were huge decisions for a young boy to make but each decision serves as a model for us when we are trusting God in making decisions.
We can listen to God, approach our decision cautiously, and not be swayed by feelings of vulnerability and fear.
There are many scriptures for making decisions that you can meditate on especially if you don't have clarity making a decision.
Trusting God in making decisions grows as your faith strengthens.
As your trust grows in who God says He is, what He can do, and who God says you are, you learn to release the grip on the unknowns that surround decision-making.
You can learn that trusting God in making decisions is far superior to decisions fuelled by emotion and random sources.
How are you trusting God in making decisions?
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