Making Right Decisions

TEXT: Psalm 1

Decision-making can be both complicated and dangerous. Our life is full of situations where we have to make decisions and whatever choice we make will result to what kind of life we will have or what kind of person we will become in the future. The righteous man in God's eyes wisely make choices according to God's will. Unlike the rest, he does not…

1.       base his decisions on what others think is right.

"walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly"---> He does not ask for the opinion of people who do not love God nor desire to please Him. He does not listen to those who choose to 'make their own rules' and 'be their own god'.

"I will listen to different opinions and see what is perfect for me."

"I will think of a way which suits me best or make me feel most comfortable."

2.      base his decisions on what others do.

"nor standeth in the way of sinners" ---> He does not do the same thing people who follow their own lusts do. (the majority rule) He is not someone who does not have his own ground and merely goes with the flow.

"What the majority does may be the right thing to do. I will do what most of them do."

3.      base his decisions on what others hate or find worthless.

"nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful" ---> He does not listen to what others laugh about.

"They don't like me doing it. It must be wrong."

"They laugh at it. This idea must be ridiculous."

Decisions must be based on a solid ground, the Word of God.

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

1.       Turn to the Word of God.

This means choosing to meditate on God's truth instead of listening to different voices you hear (loved ones, peers,  society, media, your own ego)  and prioritizing to listen to God's counsel rather than friendly chats and advices.

2.       Delight in the Word of God.

This means enjoying the Word of God, from reading, learning, to seeking to do it. Delighting means having great desire to listen to God's say on the matter rather than the opinions of the rest of the world. It is a commitment that the Lord's voice is the basis of every decision one makes.

3.      Meditate on the Word of God.

Meditating is more than simply reading the Bible. It is more of carefully listening to what God has to say. This means not stopping until one understands what God wants him to do as well as His plan for his life.

CONCLUSION:

The passage provides two choices: to choose your own will or to choose God's will for your life. If you base your decisions on yourself-- what you want or what others want for you--you will be like 'chaff which the wind driveth away'. Everything you do results to nothing. No matter how hard you work, everything becomes vain. Things become worse. But if you choose to carefully listen to the Lord's voice and understand that He has a plan for your life, just like the 'tree planted by the rivers of water', your decisions will be right and everything you do will prosper.

not mine :)