The Valley of Decisions

A decision is a choice made after considering various options or alternatives. It involves selecting one course of action from several possibilities in all aspects of life, including personal, professional, and academic domains.

It has been proven that you are a product of the decisions you made yesterday, and your tomorrow becomes a product of the decisions you make today because you will be faced with situations demanding decisions that can either make or mar your destiny.

God will never force anything on you. He has given you the free will to choose. So, you can choose to do the right things, and you can choose to do the wrong things. The choice is always yours, but one thing you must bear in mind is that your decisions ultimately affect your destiny. For this reason, the Bible says, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil” (Deut 30:15). Hence, the resultant effects of your decisions determine the course of your destiny.

Your decisions are the product of your thoughts and will ultimately manifest through your actions and character and have a lasting effect on your destiny. That is the reason the Bible says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7a). James Allen, the author of the Mastery of Destiny, asserted, “Man is the doer of his own deeds; as such he is the maker of his own character, and as the doer of his deeds and the maker of his character, he is the molder and shaper of his destiny.” Therefore, making wise decisions is one of the greatest blessings.

Sometimes, we get to a juncture in life, when we become clueless about what steps to take. The future looks so obscured, and critical decisions must be made. I have discovered that believers approach situations like this differently. Many people who are used to getting directions from their prophets often consult prophets to understand God’s mind to know the appropriate steps to take simply because they have not personally mastered the act of being led by God and understanding what it takes to make meaningful, wise, and godly decisions in every situation.

Another set of believers handle such a situation rationally. They look at situations and apply common sense. While that may be sensible, we must also understand that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Therefore, in the course of making rational decisions, there is a tendency to make decisions that will favor today and have detrimental effects on the future.

The other group of believers spends quality time in God’s presence to hear a word from Him to avoid taking steps that will have detrimental effects on their destiny. Honestly, nothing is as great as being led by God who knows tomorrow, and I believe everyone needs to get to that point of having a close relationship with God so that making critical decisions will be based on His leading because we are sure that God cannot mislead and anytime He leads, He considers our tomorrow.

However, there are times when the Lord gives us the free will to choose between two or more distinctly great opportunities and perhaps keeps silent because He wants us to make the decisions. Several times, I have been in such a situation. After praying for directions on which one to consider, sometimes the Lord keeps quiet, especially when all the opportunities are godly.

I always wonder why the Lord allows several great and godly opportunities to be presented before us and leaving us to make decisions, but over the years I discovered that the Lord does so because He wants us to grow, so He allows such a situation so that we will not constantly depend on dreams, visions, revelations in our walk with Him, but on His wisdom.

The Lord desires our growth in wisdom. As a result, I can emphatically tell you that manifesting full potential and growing into the fulfillment of destiny demands growing in wisdom. Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, the Bible records about Him that He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). So, you don’t expect God to babysit you continually. Besides, there are times that the visions and revelations you receive from Him when you are seeking directions will only be correctly interpreted through divine wisdom. So, my beloved brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you to grow in wisdom. The wisdom I’m referring to is not carnal or devilish but divine. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy”.

I must say this: while the Lord expects us to grow in wisdom in order to make meaningful and godly decisions, His eye is still on us. If you are operating in the wisdom rooted in the fear of God, He will make you realize the effect or future impact of your decisions as you are about to make the decisions. That is why growing in the fear of God is a major requirement in growing in wisdom.

So, the question is, how do I make decisions when I am presented with two or more apparently godly and great opportunities?

1. Knowing your purpose: The first thing you must consider when you are confronted with such a situation is your purpose. In the school of destiny, until a man’s purpose is known, he may be in pursuit of what he does not need and waste time and resources on the wrong things. John C Maxwell observed, “If you don’t try actively to discover your purpose, you’re likely to spend your life doing the wrong things. I would like to take it further by saying that if you do not try actively to discover your purpose, you’re likely to spend your life thinking about the wrong things and making unwise decisions that will have detrimental consequences on your destiny. The foundation of making wrong decisions is the failure to discover purpose. One is likely to choose the wrong career path or even invest in the wrong business if one’s purpose is unknown. That is the reason a popular adage says that when purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable. The knowledge of purpose is a guide in making meaningful and right decisions and it is the foundation of every meaningful success. No matter what you achieve, if your achievements are outside your purpose, you have wasted time. James Allen observed, “Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment”. So I can boldly tell you that there is no amount of time spent in discovering your purpose that is a waste. This will guide you when you are making critical decisions such as marital or career decisions.

   Let’s take, for instance, that you have been praying for job opportunities and God opens the door to several job offers. I know many would prefer the highest-paying job, but I must tell you that the knowledge of your purpose will enable you to choose correctly if you are walking in wisdom. The right job offer may not be the highest paying one, but in the long run, you will appreciate choosing it. I once shared the story of a brother of mine who was deciding between two job opportunities. He is an architect; he was considering working for an oil company because the job offer he received in his field was offering him a peanut. I advised him to ignore the oil company and take the lower-paying job because that aligns with his purpose. To God’s glory, he did. After about two years, he called and said, “I’m planning to set up my own company.” I am happy for him today because he’s doing extremely well in his field. The other offer was a trap from the pit of hell to derail his destiny.

2. Present Your Decisions to God: While it is good to be filled with the knowledge of purpose in order to make the right decisions, never fail to pray about your decisions. God knows the end from the beginning. You may think certain things are great for you, but the God who sees all things knows the future implications of your decisions. If your decisions are not completely in alignment with His plans, you will not have peace over them, and He may frustrate your supposed plans, redirect your steps, and guide you in making the right decisions if you earnestly seek His face. Hence, I will encourage you to trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

3. Walking in Obedience to God’s Word: The more you allow God’s Word to transform your heart, the wiser you become in making decisions. God’s Word is potent in shedding light on your path. The Psalmist exclaimed, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). So, feed and meditate on God’s Word daily to consistently walk in the light of God’s Word.

In conclusion, the decisions we make ultimately affect our destinies, and the wisest approach to making decisions requires knowing one’s purpose and walking in the knowledge of it, consistently presenting one’s decisions to God, and walking in obedience to God’s Word.