1/29/20

Making Good Decisions by B. Johnson



Making Good Decisions

The first principle in making good decisions is a desire to please God. Why? He is the owner and He has created everything. Why? He is the judge, the jury and the executioner. One day we will stand before Him to be judged. He is the punisher and the rewarder. We live on this earth for some 70 years: a very short earthly life. Eternity is the “perma-life” (Ecclesiastes 12:5).
If we accept the first principle, we will seek to know the owner’s will. His will is that we live for Him and not for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15). His will is that we become like Christ in heart and mind.
Following the second principle, we will try to be the best we can be - using what we have to serve God forever and ever? Some just want to get into heaven. Others want to be at his right hand or his left hand, to be the most useful they can be. James and John were two of these (Mark 10:35-45). Notice that Jesus did not condemn James and John but showed them how to fulfill their desire to serve him.
If we have a little love, a little zeal, a little wisdom, we can fan that flame to gain much love, much zeal, and much wisdom. Paul labored more abundantly than they all (1 Corinthians 15:10). True, it was by the grace of God by which he labored more abundantly than they all. But why did he have more grace (favor) than the others? Paul wanted to serve God more than the others. Job and Elijah had more patience than many others. Moses had more meekness than any others on earth (Numbers 12:3). Paul had more zeal than any of the others on earth (1 Corinthians 15:10). We need to lay up treasure in heaven - not jewels and gold just to adorn ourselves here on the earth. We need power and ability to serve God throughout eternity. We can use all we have for God and his work.
The third principle guides us to want all faith, all love, all discernment, etc. (Colossians 1:9-11). We will want to hate all the evil and love all the good (Hebrews 5:14). This is the pathway of spiritual growth (Ephesians 3:18-19).
Accepting the fourth principle will motivate us to want to use that power for God. Using that power for God is learning to serve each other. Using that power for God is learning to be a light for the world. We need to find our specific role and fulfill it. We should never flag in zeal. We don’t want to be mediocre, lazy or lackadaisical. We want all wisdom in every part of our work that God has given us to do (1 Corinthians 12:18-25). Each of us has special abilities. Each of us has a special place and responsibility that is peculiar to each. If we don’t do our specific work well, the entire work will not be done (Ephesians 4:15-16). Archippus had a responsibility that God expected him to fulfill (Colossians 4:17). Whether we are a child, unmarried adult, husband, a wife, an employee, an employer, a regular member, a deacon, an elder or whatever we are, we need to do the best possible job for Him. We need to accept our responsibility for our position and fulfill it well.
“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Pro 8:10-13).
Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)