Living in the Land of Indecision

This spring, I took part in a class offered at our church based on Kevin DeYoung's book Just Do Something. Mr. DeYoung laments the fact that many of today's Christians will put off a decision, whether big or small, waiting for some tiny morsel of affirmation from God. We wait for God to act like some giant Magic 8 ball, offering answers to some of our most basic dilemmas. People in previous generations didn't live life this way. They acted, usually out of necessity. Do I take this job? Yes, my family needs to eat.

I understand the basic premise of the book. I didn't get to enjoy of all of the classes due to sick kids, helping somewhere else, take your pick of other excuses... As long as the decision that we make is a moral one, aligned with God's will of desire, it will be blessed. Mr. DeYoung describes this will as anything God has commanded us to do. The Ten Commandments fall under this category. Matthew 7:21 says,

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

There can be several options in our decision-making that are in line with God's will, we just have to choose one. Choosing is usually what is so much harder than determining whether or not our decision is moral.

The type of will that we as Christians usually grapple with is God's will of direction. We want to know where it is that God wants us to go. What is God's specific plan for our lives? We want God's blessing on everything that we do, and to know that we have done exactly the right thing. I won't even get into a discussion on free will and how God offers us that free will through His will of desire of direction. When you add in the factor that nothing is a surprise to God and He knows our decisions before we do, well, my head spins.

Like most other Christians, I wrestle daily with will of direction. No, I don't pray to God about whether I should have the donut or the oatmeal for breakfast (Could that be a will of desire thing instead of direction? You know, the whole "body is a temple" thing and taking care of what God has given you. Hmmm.). In fact, there are probably a few daily decisions that I should take a little more care with. However, the big decisions, the REALLY BIG decisions, those are hard. Sometimes, it is easy to make a decision and not look back. As Mr. DeYoung advises, "Just do something." Other times, I'm frozen, continually weighing pros and cons until I don't even want to make a decision at all. Someone, please, make it for me!

Currently, the Daddy Guy and I find ourselves wrestling with one of those decsions where I am frozen in fear. This decision could impact my family for a very long time Pick A, deal with these inconviences and enjoy these fruits. Choice B has a different set of pros and cons. Unfortunately, there are also choices C,D,E,F,G,H,I, and on and on! Of course, there were also choices Z,Y, and X, which we found out were no longer open to us, and therefore became more attractive. *sigh* Earlier this week, I threw up my hands in discouragement and just said that I was done. D-O-N-E. There would be no decision, therefore, nothing to act upon, and it's all over. Well, not entirely.

I don't like living in the land of indecision. I like having direction, knowing where I'm going, and having a PLAN. Part of the hard part about this decision is that there is no plan. You roll with the punches. I'm not that kind of girl. I am also not one who likes to wait forever be patient and see how much more information we can garner over an extended period of time. Oh, this is what we know now? Well, that's all I need to know!

The good thing, the VERY good thing, is that Mr. DeYoung describes a third type of God's will, his will of  decree. It is everything that God has ordained. God is soveriegn and this type of will can in no way be influenced by any action of the mere man. Some of his decrees are laid out in the Bible. Much of his will of decree is hidden from us, waiting to opened like a present. Some of his decree will be played out for the whole world to see, some is for each individual person. The comfort in this is that no matter what I do, He will have his way. Because, in the end, He is God. Aren't you glad He's the one making the decisions and I am not?