Decision Making

What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease... – Psalm 25:12, 13a

Knowing that every choice we make, even a seemingly small one, can have a lasting impact on the course and tenor of our lives, the psalmist David shares with us one vital ingredient to the decision-making process, if we desire a soul-satisfying life. And, we can be thankful, the one vital requirement is not education, IQ, or market research.

The one ingredient that every soul-satisfying life has in common is this: the fear of the Lord. In other words, an awesome and imminent view of God will lead to a joyful and fulfilling kind of life. Our first question, before making any decision, must be “what would be most pleasing and glorifying to God?” And—here is the marvelous revelation from David—whatever is most pleasing and glorifying to God will also bring the most satisfaction and joy to us!

We therefore could not have a more pleasing or inspiring incentive for godly living than this two-pronged promise: God has woven this entire world together, David tells us, in such a way that what is most glorifying to him will always also be what is most satisfying for us. Isn’t God good?

Shouldn’t our decisions reflect this wonderful and generous and joyful revelation from God? Shouldn’t our choices, then, be made in the reverent fear of God?