We all make a myriad of decisions about everything, everyday, whether to have a sandwich or a protein shake, to turn left or right, to speak or not, etc, etc, you get the picture. We live our lives in a constant state of choosing based on our developed sense of preferences. We are largely known by our preferences. The Lord has empowered every human being to be able to make decisions, some life changing, and some so subtle they are virtually unnoticeable, i call them micro-decisions. Simply put, decisions, of all sorts, carry immense weight, shaping our lives and futures. Not to be too philosophic but i can’t think of another way to say it; each choice, big or small, ripples through time, influencing outcomes, relationships, and opportunities. Thoughtful deliberation is crucial, as poor choices can lead to regret, while wise ones foster growth and success. Over and over God emphasizes through themes and narratives the need to learn to make good decisions. So, how will we do that? I figure one way we learn to make good decisions, largely, is from making bad ones and learning from them. Another is through prayer and diligently searching for God’s wisdom.  James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Another is allowing God to develop character, Fruits of the Spirit, in us that we would hourly and daily come into alignment with His will. Our character heavily influences our ability to make good decisions. One way Karl Barth defined faith was calling it, “trust training.” Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Trusting God always leads to right discernment, and righteousness lead to wise, fruitful decisions that honor Him.

From the Mission in Vacaville, Calif, as written by David Crone, the following is a list of great decisions i thought worthy of putting forward for our consideration, hopefully, to influence what, how, and why we decide the things we decide.

“These are some of the decisions which define who we are as a community and how we choose to live our lives. These decisions are not destinations, but rather journeys…”, they are about the way we go our way in Christ.

• We have decided that teaching the gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching, good doctrine, and being good people are not enough.
• We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough.
• We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough, that just making it to heaven is not our goal, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless.
• We have decided that having good programs is not enough, that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying where we are is not an option.
• We have decided that gifting without character is futile.
• We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is empty, and having meetings without God showing up is pointless.
• We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable–that our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.
• We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable.
• We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better.
• We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is silly, that believing in His presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy, that believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous.
• We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered–anything less doesn’t work for us.
• We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God’s power–not the ones hearing about them.
• We have decided that living saved but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for.
• We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army not an audience, Special Forces not spectators, missionaries not club members.
• We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers: pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories. But we are not squatters, people who take up space others have fought for without improving it.
• We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign.
• We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers.
• We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum.
• We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the impossible that God has planned for us than to succeed settling for less.
• We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom coming and His will being done in our world as it is in heaven will satisfy.
• We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world cries out, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6).

i realize, that’s a lot to think about, but if we simply begin the process to think, think, think, and consider carefully before the Lord, indeed, our decisions, choosings, and preferences will change. Oh yes they will! Let our decisions reveal our constant determination to set our face toward Kingdom life. We must decide to put those decisions into gear, let the clutch out, and follow Jesus, who is The Way God has appointed for us.