Each of us has to make decisions every day of our lives. Many decisions are simple choices that we have the freedom to make such as what we are going to wear today and what route we will drive to get to work. Other decisions are highly significant and affect our lives for many years. Choosing what college to attend, going into the military, which career path, job changes, whether to marry and who to marry are significant decisions that we want to make correctly.
I am going through the book, The Man in the Mirror¸ with a small group of men. This book, written by Patrick Morley, was given to each man in our church on Father’s Day. It is a great book that is helping me understand the person staring back at me in the mirror each morning.
Morley has a chapter titled, Decisions, How to Make the Right Choice. He identifies two broad categories of decisions: priority decisions and moral decisions. Priority decisions are choices between right and right. Deciding whether to take your spouse out for dinner or to play in the town league is a decision of priority. It is a choosing between good, better or best.
Moral decisions are choices between right and wrong. Whether to be truthful about a fender bender in the parking lot is a moral decision. There is a morally correct choice and a morally wrong choice.
The author wrote that the best way to make a right decision is to know how not to make a wrong decision. Morley used Jesus’ example of decision-making when the devil tempted Him to make wrong choices. Jesus quoted the Word of God, avoided testing God and chose to worship God and serve Him only.
Matthew 4:1-10
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. 3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Morley’s 3 effective decision-making principles:
1. Live by the Word of God. If your decision contradicts or compromises God’s Word it is a bad decision.
2. Do not put God to test. Do not put yourself in a position where God has to bail you out.
3. Always worship God and serve Him only. Do not get caught up chasing after phony gods.
What would you include in this list?
I am going through the book, The Man in the Mirror¸ with a small group of men. This book, written by Patrick Morley, was given to each man in our church on Father’s Day. It is a great book that is helping me understand the person staring back at me in the mirror each morning.
Morley has a chapter titled, Decisions, How to Make the Right Choice. He identifies two broad categories of decisions: priority decisions and moral decisions. Priority decisions are choices between right and right. Deciding whether to take your spouse out for dinner or to play in the town league is a decision of priority. It is a choosing between good, better or best.
Moral decisions are choices between right and wrong. Whether to be truthful about a fender bender in the parking lot is a moral decision. There is a morally correct choice and a morally wrong choice.
The author wrote that the best way to make a right decision is to know how not to make a wrong decision. Morley used Jesus’ example of decision-making when the devil tempted Him to make wrong choices. Jesus quoted the Word of God, avoided testing God and chose to worship God and serve Him only.
Matthew 4:1-10
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. 3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Morley’s 3 effective decision-making principles:
1. Live by the Word of God. If your decision contradicts or compromises God’s Word it is a bad decision.
2. Do not put God to test. Do not put yourself in a position where God has to bail you out.
3. Always worship God and serve Him only. Do not get caught up chasing after phony gods.
What would you include in this list?
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