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Seed Thoughts October/November 2015

9 OctNov2015 LH SeedThoughts//Lynette Hagin


"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
—Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)


IT HAS BEEN estimated that a person makes 35,000 decisions every day. Life is made up of decisions—both large and small. There are decisions that we make daily, such as what time to awaken, whether to brush our teeth and go to work, what to eat, and so forth. We make those decisions automatically. They are so basic that we rarely realize they even are decisions. However, we also make major decisions each day that can have a favorable or adverse effect on our lives.


A story is told in management seminars about a young manager who was to replace a retiring executive. The young man approached the older gentleman and asked, "Sir, I know of the success you have had in life and in this company. Could you give me your secret?"


The older man pondered the question and responded, "Three words: make good decisions!"


"That is good advice," the young man replied as he wrote it down. "And what is the key to making good decisions?"


"One word," the veteran executive replied: "experience."


"And how do I get experience?" the eager young man asked as he scribbled experience on his paper.


"Two words," the retiring man answered: "wrong decisions."


I am sure that you can identify with this story. All of us have gained experience by making wrong decisions. Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Wrong decisions can lead us down the wrong path. Decisions determine our direction, and our direction determines our destiny. It is important to make right decisions.


My dad always cautioned me, "Lynette, before you make a decision, consider all of the ramifications of that decision and make sure you are willing to live with the consequences." As I applied that formula, I realized many times that the decision I was contemplating would reap wrong consequences, and I went a different way.


Many people have made irreversible decisions that have hurled them onto a wrong path for the rest of their lives. God doesn't make our choices for us. However, He will lead us down the right path to make the right choices through His Word and the voice of the Holy Spirit. But we must take the time to listen to His voice and direction.


Never make a decision based on the difficulties of today, not considering the effect that it will have on your future. Don't make decisions based upon your human reasoning. Oftentimes decisions are made under adverse circumstances. Don't be hasty. Proverbs 19:2 (Amplified) says, "Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin and miss the mark."


Many times my father-in-law would give me projects to complete, and I would need decisions from him in order to carry out the assignments. When I began working with him, I would become very frustrated, because deadlines would be looming and I thought he was procrastinating in giving me his decision. He would say, "I'm still seeking the Lord on the right direction for this." Sometimes I would think, "I sure wish God would hurry up and give him the answer, because I am on a deadline."


As I sat and patiently waited on the answer, I learned a valuable lesson that I implement now in managing staff. I learned the value of waiting on God to give the perfect answer and instruction for the project. Often our decisions are wrong because we are not patient enough to wait and hear God's instructions.


Psalm 25:4–5 (NLT) says, "Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." I do not always get God's direction when I want it. How do I hear from Him? I talk to Him continually. When I am getting ready in the morning and while I am driving to work, I constantly remind Him that I need the answer to what I am asking.


It always seems that at an unexpected time, when I am just thanking and praising God for Who He is and what He means to me, suddenly He gives me the answer and direction for my question.


I admonish you to include God in every major decision you encounter. He will always lead you down the right path. He knows your future, and He will set you up for a successful life.