River of Life Church
  • Home
  • How Can I Serve
  • Map
  • Pastor Mark Radeke
  • Giving
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact
  • ReMarkablog
  • Beliefs
  • Event Photos
  • Daily Bible Reading
  • Online Messages
  • Service Volunteer Sign-up

How to Make the Right Choice

12/13/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
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?


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Mark Radeke

    Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many.

    Archives

    December 2022
    March 2021
    April 2020
    January 2019
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    10 Commandments.
    Bible
    Business
    Christian Living
    Church
    Dreams
    Easter
    Evil
    Famous People
    Finishing Well
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Global Poverty
    God
    Grace
    Heaven
    Holidays
    Holy Spirit
    Hope
    Kingdom Of God
    Love
    Marriage
    Money
    New Ventures
    Outreach
    Parables
    Parenting
    Peace
    Poverty
    Prayer
    Prophecy
    Retreat Highlights
    Salvation
    Senior Citizens
    Spiritual Gifts
    Trinity
    Trust
    Valentine's Day Stats
    Water Baptism
    Wisdom
    Worship

    RSS Feed