Sweet (torturous) decisions

Ah the sweet torture of choices in the ice cream aisle!
Photo By Kanesue (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I hate making decisions.  Whether it’s deciding my favorite movie or which ice cream flavor to order, I always hesitate.  I guess it’s my personality type.  So just imagine how I am in making bigger life decisions – where to go to college, what to study, where to invest my time, etc.  And to top it all off, how am I supposed to know God’s will for my life!?!

Knowing God’s will is always something I’ve struggled with.  Is there a specific path charted out for us that we must discern, or do we have choices in what direction our life takes.  I grew up thinking the former – that if I made a wrong choice somewhere along the way, I’d mess up God’s plan for me.

Well, let’s go back to the basics.  What does it mean to follow Jesus?  What does he call us to?  The Bible isn’t some riddle for me to decode the secret plan for my life.  However it is full of directives on how to live our lives in a way that pleases God.  To summarize: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37,38)  That’s something I can do anywhere!  Whether I’m working as a bookkeeper in a dusty shed (having never taken any accounting classes), helping in a clinic for children with disabilities, or having a picnic with friends, I can learn how to love God and my neighbor more.  If it’s His will for us to love Him and others, we can do that in any situation!

Now don’t hear me wrong.  I know God directs our steps and certainly gives very clear directions to people sometimes (just look at the story of Abraham!).  But Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  God uses our interests, gifts, and passion if we’re centered on Him.

So while making decisions still fills me with fear sometimes (I have less than a year ‘til I finish grad school!), I’m learning that if my joy and delight is in following Jesus, I can serve him in any circumstance.  This is His will.

And by the way, I still don’t know my favorite movie but my favorite ice-cream flavor is Bunny Tracks!  Yum!

As summer gets closer to ending (gasp and sigh) what kinds of decisions do you find yourself having to make? How have you felt as you’ve worked to make them? How have God, his word and others helped you along the way? Let us know in the comments!