Daily Digest: Capstone Capsule

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” – Proverbs 3:6

The Word of God provides profound wisdom for DECISION-MAKING for IMPACT that glorifies Him: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will shall direct your paths” (Pro.3: 5-6). These are particularly important considering the impact on others. Proverbs 15:22 says: “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.” The bottom-line is to do all things for God’s Glory: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor.10:31); and in the Name of the Lord (Col.3:17).

Decision-making is the process or skill of making up one’s mind; making a choice of action from a set of options. In a sense, decision-making is part of the problem-solving process of: selecting a course of action from among two or more alternatives; or following a line of action in preference to another or others. This process often involves the existence of options, few of which could be regarded as bad decisions, and be discarded. An option becomes a Decision when we commit ourselves to it.

Decisions can weigh between life and death: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deu.30:19b). Decision is the fulcrum of Success. Deficiency in the decision-making skill can wreck a career, ministry, or life. We are all faced with many decisions everyday: little and big; easy and hard; simple and complex – but always decisions. Most people however freeze, hesitate, procrastinate, or try to shift responsibility rather than decide! Effectiveness and Success involve making the right or the most appropriate decision in the context.

Many times, we have no problem, only a Decision to make! Here are eight variants of Ineffective “Decision-makers”:

Abdicators: wait for things to happen instead of making them happen; they criticize their own set goals and abandon decisions.

Impulsives: have little concern for facts, feelings, or finances, trusting in spur-of-the-moment impulses or instincts.

Idealists: like to relax, idealize, think, and do nothing, hoping for the problem to solve itself.

Procrastinators: simply fail (or lack the ability) to make decisions; they postpone the inevitable, wasting time and resources.

Vacillators: switch back and forth – doing, undoing, and redoing, and often end back on square-1.

Fence-sitters: do not like to take risks or make decisions.

Detailers: want to analyse all facts before deciding; they often fall into analysis paralysis.

The Timid: are paralysed and rendered impotent by fear.

Believers are led by the Holy Spirit, have the Mind of Christ, and a God-given sound mind (Rom.8:14; 1 Cor.2:16; 2Tim.1:7).