Our decisions define us. They set us apart from other people. The decisions we make don't just affect us, they affect everyone that has anything to do with our lives; therefore it is important to take responsibility for our decisions, whether good or bad.
For example: You make a decision not to go to university, but rather to take that money and start your own business instead. People may see this decision as isolated, but no decision is isolated if you look at the bigger picture. At university you may have had the chance to meet people that could change the way you see the world and thus change the way you make decisions. You may have learnt something that could help you make better decisions and thus justify your time spent at an institution of learning. Had you decided to start your own business instead, the kinds of people you will meet would most likely be different. People with common interests in a common industry; maybe people who challenge you in a different way and thus changing the way you make decisions. You may learn from your mistakes and be wiser for it; a trademark of an entrepreneur. Both these scenarios will determine the kind of spouse you settle for and the differing types of expectation you have for life. In short, your definition of success will be different.
The question then arises as to what is the wrong decision and what is the right decision? The answer doesn't lie in the philosophy of the post-modern relativity of happiness or contentment. It lies with God. The bible tells us that He has a plan for our lives (Jer 29:11) and a good and perfect will for our futures (Rom 12:2). By implication then, it means that you can be in God's will and you can be out of it. As the above example suggests, either decision has it's merits, but which one is God's perfect will for your life; which one is God's best for you?
Here is a guideline that I use to make decisions, it takes the pressure off of being right or wrong: If your heart and your will are sincerely submitted to God and His will for your life, then there is no such thing as making the wrong decision, only a better one. It is important to submit your decisions to God and trust that you are hearing Him speak to you when you make a decision. With this attitude God's grace allows us to do His will for our lives, even when we don't always make the best decisions.
Our decisions have lasting consequences; what we sow we will inevitably reap (Gal 6:8). My hope is that as you sow into your future and into the futures of those around you, that you will sow good seed. Seed that will produce life and not death, seed that will help set people free instead of enslaving them to condemnation (John 8:36, Gal 5:1).
"Your decisions can change the world!"
