That said, life is like a train that refuses to halt. Even after you leave the station of “examinations” you will soon arrive at the station of “receiving your results.” After receiving the results, students and parents have to face yet another kind of examination. Which secondary school should I enroll in? Should I enroll in a junior college or a polytechnic? Which university and faculty should I choose? Students and parents will need to halt at this cross junction of life and make a decision. As this moment of decision has far reaching implications for the future, before making the decision, everyone will think deeply.
In order to make the best decision many will seek out related information and compare and contrast the pros and cons of a particular choice. Further, as this is an important decision, students and parents worry that a wrong decision would result in losses or a choice that can point to a brighter future. Worrying and being concerned are natural reactions as we are limited in our ability to foresee and control the future. The fact is that what is mentioned above is but only one of the many decisions we have to make. As Christians, how should we make a correct decision? When we are in a dilemma, how important is God in our decision making process?
The teen and adult Sunday School have recently begun a study on this topic. This material is prepared by a well known author, J. I. Packer. It is entitled ”Decisions: Finding God’s Will.” This set of materials concisely communicates to us the correct approach that we should adopt in making various decisions. Christians need to seek God’s will before making a decision. “Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land” (Psalm 25:12-13). The God on whom we rely is omnipresent, omniscient, and who controls all things. God is also kind and righteous. He desires to direct lost sheep like us to walk in righteous paths (Psalm 25:8). That being the case, we really need not worry about what the future hold. Although we often seek God only for our own safety’s sake, God is still merciful to us. However, the more important objective of seeking God’s will is by our decision to bring glory to God. This is the focus of our decision making process.
When we seek God’s will, we will be able to make a right decision. But what is the right process of seeking God’s will? Packer lists 5 aspects: God’s Word the Bible, the Holy Spirit, prayer, Christian fellowship, and reasoning abilities that God has given us. Through the six Bible passages in these materials we will learn the details of seeking God’s will and correct common misunderstandings. We have just studied the first chapter and will look into the second. Please do not miss it! Through this study, I hope brothers and sisters in Christ will be clearer about God’s will in our lives, and that by making right decisions, we will glorify our Lord.