Making the Right Choice: God, Free Will, and Life Decisions
We’ve all been at a crossroads. Those are the moments in our lives where we come to a fork in the road that requires a decision. We want to make the right choice. We want to do the right thing for ourselves, our families, and for God. We look for clues and signs and agonize over the ‘right’ decision. What does God want us to do? Am I not seeing his path? These are common questions. Fear creeps up and creates a kind of paralysis that drives us to believe we no longer hear God’s voice and cannot make the choice.
There is real strife in indecision, particularly when it seems so insurmountable. This doubt is there to obscure the love of God. The question of Free Will has been debated for many years in opposition to the existence of God. As believers, we know that God is sovereign and he allows us the freedom to choose, as he trusts our love in him will be the guiding light. In the pandemonium of modern life, this can be lost. Let’s revisit some of these ideas and see how God’s love always prevails.
“Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything, but that doesn’t mean he will make all of our choices for us. The Scripture is full of examples that point to God as the driving force and the light of our lives. Yet, God created Free Will to give man the freedom. When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them everything and one command. The violation of that command led to the suffering of human beings in the hands of our desires. This set in place the idea of man’s suffering.
If you’ve ever made a ‘wrong choice,’ in your life, you might know that this leads to suffering. We trap ourselves in regret and a million ‘what ifs.’
It’s important to remember that God will lead everything that happens to you for good. Trusting God in your decision is one thing, expecting him to make them for you is another. But where exactly is that line? And how do we keep ourselves from becoming fearful of making decisions and taking steps forward?
- Focus on His Presence and Trust.
God knows you. He is with you and wants the best for you. He opens up doors and trusts you enough to make the choice for good. There are moments, however, where we fear these decisions because we might not get what we want. We become blindfolded by material and earthly things and lose sight of closeness to God.
Let’s say you have a job offer in a different city and the job requires moving, selling your home, and going through plenty of obstacles. You agonize over this decision. You play out all the scenarios in your head and start getting wrapped up in what will or might go wrong. This is darkness descending upon you. Taking a leap of faith means trusting knowing that God has your back. And whether you end up in the new job or decide to stay, God continues to support you and light your way.
What’s important to remember is that God knows you intimately and therefore cares about what will bring you peace and fulfillment in this life. To decrease your fear of decision-making, trust in God and in the path he’s laying out for you.
- Pray, Seek Him in Silence, and Find Answers.
One of the big questions that gets people is knowing what God wants for you. Asking God to reveal his will is part of why we pray and seek God in moments of silence and reflection. It is in these moments of quiet that the answer might be revealed in us and move us forward towards a new season. And yet, the answer does not drop from the sky with a Yes or No on it. There is no billboard that holds the answer. We must seek answers through trust.
- Through Daily Work, God’s Grace Lights the Way
Learning to trust God takes some work. Faith is a constant struggle and it demands attention. If we practice communication with God every day, if we pray, God’s Grace becomes a presence in our lives and this is what some might refer to as a state of grace. Our lives and the many decisions we make become easier as we learn to trust him day to day, starting from the small things, to the everyday things, to the most momentous and challenging moments in our lives.
The freedom to choose is a way to put our faith to work. Free Will gives you the freedom to carve out your life but always knowing that God is behind you. He is with you, but you must let Him in.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness – PSALM 89:15-16
If you find yourself unable to make a decision or overcome with fear because of a choice in our life, seek God. Engage with the Word. Faith Miracle Sanctuary helps guide you towards faith and trust in God so that you may “dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of your life.” Come forward and seek his light with us!