by Samuel Won
I love watching movies of all different genres, especially in the theater. There’s just something about experiencing a brand new film on the big screen with immersive sound that gets me every time. I love it so much, that I actually don’t mind going by myself (don’t judge me!). However, when I do go, I don’t watch just any film. It’s usually one that I have been anticipating for a while. I know exactly what I want to watch, and I go for it. Yet, I can’t say the same when it comes to streaming services. Like I said, I love movies, but I feel paralyzed by the plethora of options available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and now Disney+. It’s not because I can’t find anything good, but rather quite the opposite. There’s just too many good films! I don’t know what I want to watch first, as a result, I don’t watch anything at all. Before I know it, I have reverted to watching something familiar like The Office because of my own indecisiveness…
Anyone else have a hard time making a decision like me? Now obviously choosing what movie to watch is quite insignificant in the grand scheme of life, but what happens when you need to make a decision for your career or for your family? Many times the reason why decisions are so hard is because it isn’t always black or white nor is it good versus bad. Instead they are tough choices that need to be made between multiple good options that have the potential to change the trajectory of your life. What then do we do as believers for those weighty decisions? For example, should I go back to school for that degree even though I now have a young family? Should I move to a totally different city for that job opportunity? Should I date this person? Should I marry that person? All of which are big decisions that we all can use help in making.
How do we make those decisions then? There are many practical steps you can do, such as making a pros and cons list and doing research, but my goal in writing this blog post isn’t to give a comprehensive checklist of some kind, but rather, to highlight the two essentials you need when making a decision. Those two things are the peace of Christ and the counsel of others.
PEACE OF CHRIST
“Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15 (TPT)
I love how this verse is also written in the Amplified Version! It says to let the peace of Christ rule as an umpire of your heart. What amazing imagery! That means that your level of peace from God determines whether something is fair or foul. Recently one of our team members, Josh, moved all the way to Sacramento to join Jesus Culture’s first ever leadership school. However, based on circumstances such as a torn ACL and a housing situation that wasn’t working out, it seemed like it might have been the wrong decision to go. Yet what allowed him to move to the other side of the country and persevere in such a big decision, was the peace of Christ. He knew that because he had peace that comes from God, he had faith that this was indeed the right choice. Conversely, you can be in a situation where all the circumstances are pointing to “yes” for a decision, but if you don’t have peace, it might be worth reconsidering your decision.
One thing worth noting about the peace of Christ is that its purpose is to guard our hearts and our minds. Often times we want peace that comes from understanding why a particular choice is the right decision or understanding why we are facing what we are facing. Or better yet, peace because everything is easy! Yet Philippians 4:7 tells us that it’s a peace that surpasses all understanding. Bill Johnson says that the only way we can receive peace that surpasses all understanding is to give up our right to understand. It’s about surrender to Him based on our relationship with Him. It’s ultimately rooted in trust. It’s saying, I trust You and need Your peace above my own understanding of a situation and my need to be in control. Because let’s be honest, as finite beings, any sense of control we have is only a mirage. We can’t even see what’s ahead or know what our future holds. We don’t have the capacity to comprehend from God’s perspective, but thankfully that’s not what He expects or wants. He wants us to trust. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In other words, prayer and surrender are the pathway to His peace.
COUNSEL OF OTHERS
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)
Time and time again, the book of Proverbs, which is known as the book of wisdom, highlights this truth. That if you want success or victory, it will be found in the counsel of the wise. Having people who are wiser than you is one of life’s greatest blessings and truly a gift from the Lord. So much so that the Bible says that if you want to be wise, all you have to do is walk with them! (Proverbs 13:20) Whenever I need to make a key decision, there are people I turn to for insight and counsel. They are ones who have demonstrated maturity in their life and their faith. They are trusted brothers and sisters as well as leaders and pastors who have shown a history of walking with integrity and with God. In the past, they have told me things that confirmed what I believed God was already saying and other times they loved me enough to challenge me and tell me what I didn’t want to hear. That’s why the key isn’t just asking anyone, but those who are wise because who you receive counsel from is just as important as the counsel they give.
We see this tragically take place in the life of King Rehoboam, the successor to his father, Solomon, and the grandson of David. Early in his reign, he was faced with a big decision on how to respond to the people when they came with a request. Instead of listening to the elders who had advised his father, he took the counsel of the young men who he grew up with and were now serving him (1 Kings 12:8). In essence, his ears were only open to the “yes men” in his camp. By listening to them, he would become the last king of a unified Israel as he would soon be in a civil war that would have irreparable consequences. The consequences of which would affect every preceding generation to come (a total span of almost 350 years!). That decision was the beginning of the end of not only his own kingship, but the entire kingdom to come. Listening to bad counsel from the wrong people led to the entire unraveling of the kingdom and its eventual destruction.
By being armed with the peace of Christ and the counsel of others, there are no guarantees that all our decisions will work out. However I want to end by saying that maybe that isn’t the goal anyways. Interestingly, and oftentimes frustratingly, you can even make the choice that’s in God’s will for your life and do exactly what He wants, and still, there’s no assurance of success! Don’t believe me? Just ask Jeremiah! You can even be following Jesus perfectly, and still end up in storms. Don’t believe me? Just ask the disciples! Or just about anyone who has sought to live a life of faith honoring God. In life you are bound to face some difficult decisions in which there are no easy choices and the best choice might not even work out. I don’t know why that is the case, but I do know this, that I want to honor God in my decision making more than I want to make the right decision. That’s why this blog post is about two things you need when making a decision as opposed to two things that will guarantee you the best results. Because I believe when we are led by His peace and seek counsel from the wise, it does honor the Lord. We are honoring Him because we are living out His Word. We are honoring Him because we are putting Him first. So let’s do the best we can and then trust Him in the rest. Because even if it doesn’t work out, we still have trusted people on our side and His peace in our hearts, which are both priceless. Amen.