Christians should think through every decision they make carefully and seriously, taking every step seriously and considering everything in light of Scripture and bringing glory to God. We need to guard against and avoid making any decisions based solely upon the popularity thereof within our cultures. Popularity with our cultures is never a good reason to make any decision. The old saying comes to mind, "If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you jump off it, too?"
The way to make right decisions in your life is to know God's will. Every decision you make should be carefully and seriously considered in light of Scripture and bringing glory to God. If we know our Bibles well and spend time in them daily, we already know God's revealed will. We should also pray for wisdom and guidance. Essentially, there are four steps that should guide every decision making process:
- Pray. Prayer should always guide our decisions.
- What does God's Word say about it? If God's Word does not specifically address what you are considering, what lessons might you glean from it that can help with your decision? For example, God's Word says nothing about buying a house. But Scripture says lots about being a good steward with your money. How can you take the lessons of stewardship and apply them to buying a house.
- Seek godly counsel. This is counsel that begins first and foremost with God's Word and glory to God.
- Make your decision. In the end, you get to make the choice for good or ill. Hopefully you considered the ramifications of your decision in light of Scripture and bringing glory to God.
Too often nowadays Christians merely "go with the flow." They do not care about consequences, the effect it has on others, or whether it is something they should be involved with at all. They are afraid to stand out in the world and be set apart for God. They just want to fit in, which is usually an indicator that they love the world more than they love the Christ. Contrary to popular opinion, fitting in with the masses is not "cool." We need to develop a back bone and to grow courage and to stand against the popularities of our cultures. Just because "everyone is doing it" does not make it right or proper. In the book of Judges we are repeatedly informed that everyone did what was "right in his own eyes" (17:6; 21:25), which turned out to be "evil in the sight of the Lord" (2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). Our societies are no different.
In Christian marriage, this should ever more be the case. Husband and wife should discuss every decision together, and every decision should be made with great consideration toward what the Word of God says and with regard to bringing God glory in and by that decision. You are not separate individuals, you are united as one. Every decision will have its consequences, and those must be weighed carefully. The steps above will greatly aid you in making any decision, and every decision should be made with the utmost caution and care. "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Prov. 3:6).