Decisions, Decisions

Is decision making hard for you?  It probably depends on what is at risk or how much information you have in order to make your decision.  How do you respond in decision making when you have to make one that will affect the lives of other people?  Tougher isn’t it?  …at least it is for me.

I recently wrestled long and hard with a very difficult decision that could affect others.  I tried to think it through from various angles in order to get a sense of the depth and impact it might have.  I wrote down my thoughts and then shared them with a friend. As I shared them, suddenly it became clear what I needed to do.  Once I sensed that, certainty was there and the wrestling within virtually stopped.  What a relief!!  Let me explain.

Quite a few decades back I was introduced to a concept that has helped me make tough decisions.  Although the model is not embraced by all, it has been without doubt the most practical, insightful, and challenging model I’ve encountered to date.  The model is rooted in a few words written by Moses.  Genesis 1:26a (NLT2) Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves….”  When I was young I wondered how we were made to be like God since all humans look so different!  Later the word “our” in that verse was brought to my attention because God is normally thought of as one, not multiple Gods.  Thinking of God as three yet one resolves that dilemma since He is pictured in Scripture as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s words add shape to what God said in Genesis 1:2 when he wrote 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT2) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  There it is!  We really are made in God’s image, not physically in looks but three ‘persons’ in one body!  We have a spirit, soul and body as God consists of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

As you walk out that parallel thought, the most powerful and insightful AND challenging piece is learning to distinguish in practical terms the difference between the voice of our spirit and that of our soul.  However, developing a skill in that area can reap incredible rewards!  One reward is seen in the decision-making process!  The three primary functions of our soul are our will (make choices), mind and emotions.  Depending on our personality, most of us use our mind or emotions to make daily decisions.  In contrast, the functions of our spirit consist of our ability to have communion with God, our intuition (maybe thought of as a gut feeling or uncanny knowledge), and conscience (issues regarding right and wrong).  Unless the Spirit hits us with a two-by-four, we don’t allow that part to guide the decisions we make.  Furthermore, unless we are very careful, more often than not we will confuse the voice of our mind or emotions with the voice of God who speaks to our intuition and conscience.  The decisions I have regretted were made by neglecting to distinguish what my spirit was saying to me.

When I wrote down my thoughts and shared them with a friend suddenly it became clear!  My wrestling had been coming from my soul—my mind and emotions, not my spirit (intuition or conscience).  Once I recognized that, I immediately knew what I needed to do because Paul wrote Romans 8:14 (NLT2) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  I have used this model to help make thousands of decisions through the decades and I’ve never regretted having done so.   If this concept resonates with you, search to know more about the difference between your soul and spirit.  It can help you make decisions faster and with more confidence.

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