Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous…"

How many decisions have you already made today? Daily life is a series of decisions both small and large which impact and determine who we are, what we do, and how we live and lead. We put thought, discernment, and experience into our decisions. Our decisions impact those whom we lead, as well as our own lives. When our lives are over, it will have been the decisions that we made in life that will have made us who we were. We should utilize the counsel of our spouses and co-workers to weigh the pros and cons of major decisions and even make a list of them. Our next steps should include prayer, God’s Word, and obedience to the Holy Spirit. A leader should prepare beforehand to know what to do when the decision arises. This is how we can best incorporate discernment, wisdom, and obedience to what God would have us to do. It’s like asking your computer to do a spell and grammar check before hitting the save and send keys.

Most decisions have a “right and a wrong” answer. The Christian leader needs to add more questions. Does the decision bring glory to God, does it impact the Kingdom, is it what God wants, and does it stand for what is right? This is where being “strong and courageous” comes in. To make the right decision in many situations requires a lot of strength and courage from the promise of God. It may not be the easy way, but it must be the right way. We must also evaluate our state of mind in decisions. I have shared the acronym H.A.L.T. before which stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. The four states where we are more likely to make poor decisions can be used by the enemy to make hasty, disgruntled, and selfish decisions. If time permits, wait until a more favorable and informed time. If not, lift up an immediate prayer for guidance and draw upon God’s Word in your heart. I have served in some major leadership positions in my life which required big decisions. I learned to pray each morning for the day that God would give me the strength, courage, discernment, and wisdom to make the right decisions. The same is true in the family. The command to be strong and courageous is followed with the words that “our God will go with us and will not leave or forsake us.”  What a promise to live out each day.”