Making Wise Decisions

Life is about choices. There’s a saying, “You can choose your actions, but not your consequences.” 

The story, found in the 14th chapter of Judges, portrays one of the most popular characters in the Old Testament. Samson, is listed in the 11th chapter in the Hall of Faith, with the heroes and sheroes of the faith. When you read his story, you will discover that Samson was a man of faith, but wasn't always a faithful man. Someone asked the question, "Why is it hard for people to forgive?"
That answer can be found in this story, because it deals with the freewill of humanity and the sovereignty of God. Everyone chooses to do whatever they desire — obey God's will or not obey God's will.

Samson is only drawn and attracted to her based on what he sees with his eyes. You should never make decisions solely on what you see. In Genesis chapter 3, Eve decided to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree when she saw that it was good. All of us have an eye gate. Your eye gate should be the filter that protects your eyes from telling your mind the wrong things. When you don’t bring your eyes into subjection to your faith, your sight will partner with your mind and have you forgetting things you already know.

As the story unravels, you will discover that Samson compromises his commitment to God. In Judges 13, he was born under the Nazirite vow. There were three things every Nazirite vowed not to do:

1. Drink strong wine. 

2. Eat or touch anything unclean (or dead things).

3. Cut your hair.

Lust was his weakness and he did not know how to guard it. Unguarded weaknesses can cause you to make decisions and go for things that you know aren’t healthy for you. God will always have somebody or something to be a warning before you cross that line. See Donald Duck's Better Self. 

My mentor, Dr. David L. Lane, said, "Make sure you have a mentor for the various areas in your life." That’s why we need people in your circle who are holier than us, who have more faith, more wisdom, and discernment and maturity than we possess.

What do you do when God is in it and it doesn’t work out? Keep in mind, some times things don’t work out when God is in it, because human freewill gets is involved. Things don’t work out because God’s plan still includes us. We always have the right to refuse the plan of God and/or our decisions don’t always line up with His plan.

But, here's the good news, the story is not over! God is not done with us yet and our story does not end with the fallout of our choices.

God is not done with you yet! I hear Job in Job 23:10 "When God is done with me I shall come forth as pure gold."

The Cycle Of Nothingness

Sometimes God leaves us in a vicious cycle of nothingness. However, the cycle of nothingness is necessary. You can't run on until you run out!!

Sometimes you aren't ready to go on until you run out.

God says, "I have to let your options and resources run out. If you were going to turn to me. You would have turned to me in the beginning."  Walk with Jeroboam through 2 Kings 1-3.

You have to stay connected to someone or people who are connected to the Lord (Jehoshaphat was such a person) In 2 Kings 3:14-15 (The Message) Elisha said, “As God-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I stand ready to serve, if it weren’t for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I wouldn’t give you the time of day. But considering—bring me a minstrel.” (When a minstrel played, the power of God came on Elisha.

Be careful not to get so submerged in your negativity that you can't think straight.

Making The Choice To Start

The dream has been given to you. Now you must make touch decisions to fulfill the dream. A goal without a plan is a dream.

God's ideas are futile, if man doesn't act upon them with faith. Jesus says, 
“If (conditional) you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you" (John 14:15). 
God has promises, but He wants us to go through the process. 

Oftentimes, we want the promises of God and want to skip the process.

On August 3, 1857, Frederick Douglass delivered a "West India Emancipation" speech with these words, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

You have to change your language from I can't to I will.

I will succeed. I will live. I will change. I will talk. I will walk. I will run. I will win, because the battle has already been fought and the victory is already mine.

You have to change your language from I can't to I will.

I will start that business. I will graduate. I will be able to do whatever I set my mind to, 
because God enables me to keep moving once I make the tough decision to start.

Pray to God for it. Praise God through it. Thank God for helping you do it.

Dream but don't stop there. God wants to bring out, what He placed in you - EXCELLENCE.

START NOW.