Are You Facing a Tough Decision? 10 Point to Ponder – Inspirational Reads Chapter 8
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Are you facing a tough decision?
At times I think we all face tough decisions, which is something that I’m not sure anyone really likes.
It was until just a couple of years ago that I felt such pressure to make the best decision. I got my stomach all tied up in knots when a tough decision loomed overhead. For years I believed that each decision has a clear right and a clear wrong choice. I believed that in each decision, there would be one side that led to blessing and one side that led to cursing…and that God expected us to be able to make the correct choice, primarily on our own.
Through wise counsel and good ol’ maturity, I have since changed my thoughts on the matter, and oh how freeing it has been.
Are you facing a tough decision? Try working your way through these 10 points to ponder.
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1. Take a deep breath
There is nothing like being thrown into a state of panic, is there? So often our heart races, our blood pressure rises, and we can find ourselves breathing just a bit more quickly. For this reason, start by taking a nice deep breath. As you prepare to start working through these next steps, start with breathing nice and deep.
2. Determine the time frame you have to work with
Is this a decision that is an urgent one, or, do you have some time? If time is on your side, then there is no reason to jump in to making a hasty decision. If you have the time to take before making a decision, take it.
3. Write out the viable options
So often we can try to define decisions into black and white terms when there may be some shades of grey in there as well. These shades of grey may appear more in time, but as they do, write down all of the viable options, even if they seem a bit out there. I can’t tell you the numbers of times that what seemed to be an out there solution in the beginning ends up being the best decision in the end.
4. Pray
If you are a Christian as I am, this is the point where I feel it is most effective to pray about the situation, the solutions, and your ability to think clearly and rationally. It is amazing how unsettled you will still feel without taking this vital step if you are a believer.
5. Seek wise counsel
It is fascinating how the perspective of someone else can bring clarity to the most complicated situations. Be sure that it is wise counsel. IT should be someone who shares similar beliefs, priorities, and can be objective. Resist the urge to seek the counsel of someone who will lead you astray or someone who will tell you the answer that you think you want to hear.
6. Distance yourself
Again, if you have the time, take a step back. When we are so deeply immersed in a decision, it can be hard to see much of anything, much less to see clearly. Step out of the middle of the situation, pause there, and keep your eyes open to see what emerges.
7. Remove the context of right and wrong
I cannot tell you how powerful this was when a friend said this to me. She said, and I firmly believe her to be 100% accurate, that sometimes we truly get to choose. Sometimes there isn’t a right and a wrong…and that blessings can come no matter which choice we make. While there are decisions that will result in curses as stated in the Bible, there are plenty of times when God, who gives good gifts to His people, really wants us to choose, and He will bless us either way. This point is perhaps the most powerful point in this list in my opinion.
8. Ask yourself this question: which choice or choices could I not look myself in the mirror about now and in the future?
In essence, you are asking yourself which choice will reflect on the person you want to be both now and in the future. So often we examine our options through the lens of what is best, where in this point, you are using the lens of what is not best. There are many, many times that this perspective gives clarity that I can’t see otherwise.
9. Picture it
Before you completely decide on an option, take a few moments to envision what that decision will look like in real life. When you do this, is this still the option you want to choose?
10. After working your way through all of these steps, proceed in confidence
Does this mean that all decisions are always final? No, it does not. However, resist the urge to make a decision and then immediately feel as though you have chosen the wrong thing. If you have thoughtful and prayerfully made your way through these steps, you have not made a hasty decision. Rest in that truth and move forward without regret or remorse, allowing the dust to settle for a bit. It is so common to feel regretful right at first, only to find that in time you feel a sense of peace about it. Know that the peace often comes in time.
Tough decisions face nearly everyone at one time or another, however, even tough decisions can be made purposefully. These 10 points to ponder are an excellent system to utilize.
Here is more on making decisions:
This post is reflection of the book we are reading as a book club community. This is the book we are reading.
Breaking Busy
Here is a bit more about our book club…
This book club is a way of encouraging others to carve out the time to read at a pace of just two chapters a week because I’ve learned that finding time to read never just happens on its own.
Generally, every Monday and Thursday there will be blog posts here with Monday’s Inspirational Reads somewhere in the title with my reaction to each of the two chapters for the week.
