How to make good decisions.

Decisions are part of our lives. We make them most days, and sometimes they demand more attention than others. How are you at making decisions? What criteria do you use to make the right decision?

“Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” (Genesis 13 v 10-13)

One way to make a decision is to create a list of benefits. A pros and cons list. Focusing on the benefits and the opportunities the decision would bring. With this approach, Lot made the right choice, didn’t he? Read it again. Wouldn’t we have made that decision?

One question to ask is this: What are we overlooking when we are making a decision? Sometimes we need someone to check our blind spots to this. We pursue that job that pays a high salary, but we overlook the time it will take away from our small children. We choose the best opportunity, but forget that it takes us away from who we are called to be. Read verses 10 and 13 again. Lot would not have known that God would destroy those 2 cities. But if he had enquired a bit more, he would have found the reason why that may have been possible.

So how do we make good decisions?

We can do so by making sure that we don’t focus on “What will I achieve or how will I benefit?” but on this question: “Who am I destined to become if I choose this?”

Not everything that looks like the ‘garden of the Lord’ is, and in fact, there lies a clue. Lot would have known the story of Eden and should have asked what the moral of the story. Eve took what looked good, and Adam ate it and lost everything.

When we overlook what looks good, then we can lose more than we anticipated

Before you lies opportunities. But make sure you know what lies there as well. What you see is not as important as what you are not seeing.

Where will this decision take you or do to you? And not only you, but perhaps your household too.