Lesson One from God’s First Aid Kit by Dr. Mike Holloway

Without doubt, one of the most important aspects of being a successful Christian is the ability to make right decisions.

Not only will we be better able to reach our potential for the Lord and eliminate needless problems in our lives but also will we be able to share God’s wisdom with those around us.

One of the most neglected responsibilities of every Christian is that of being a counselor of those in need.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

Ephesians 4:11-12

Paul informed us that God gave to the church apostles, teachers, evangelists, and pastors for the express purpose of
doing the work of the ministry.

While that verse would not include baptizing and performing weddings, as those require ordination, the work of the ministry would
certainly include giving godly advice and spiritual encouragement.

For instance, a teenager will be forced to make many important decisions within just a few years of graduating from high school.

• Marriage – When? Who?
• Career – College? Trade school? Immediate employment?
• Church – Get involved? Fall by the wayside?

If that list is not tough to consider already, life reveals that decisions only become more complicated with the passing of time.

How can a person acquire the ability to make sound judgments that will not come back to haunt him years later?

More divorces are being experienced by couples after twenty years of marriage than ever before with the typical excuse being
that they were young, did not know what they were doing, and married the wrong person.

Too many men reach the mid-life crisis time of life realizing they stumbled into a dead-end job or career, and now it is too
late to make a change.

Too many young people raised in church are allowing the lure of the world to pull them out of church so they can see
what is out there.

The answer is not found in developing an ability of decision-making but rather in tapping into a base of knowledge whereby we can discover the decisions that need to be made as revealed by the Lord through the Bible.

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:16

Having the mind of Christ is the key to all of our decision-making.

How can we know the Lord’s thoughts on any given subject? The answer is through the Bible, for the Bible is the mind of Christ put into print.

Psalm chapter one provides five practical steps that will help the new Christian as well as the most seasoned of Christians be able to make decisions that would be in agreement with the Lord!

Step #1 – AVOID GETTING ADVICE FROM THOSE WHO ARE
MAKING POOR SPIRITUAL DECISIONS.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

Psalm 1:1

This verse mentions that the happy individual is the one who works hard at avoiding people who are not doing well spiritually.

The word ungodly refers to lost people in general. They might be very educated and well informed, but their advice is based on worldly philosophies and a view of situations without any spiritual discernment.

Lost financial advisors might have a degree in economics or business, but they are generally the ones who recommend to stop tithing in order to get out of debt. Lost marriage counselors might have a degree from a recognized institution, but if they do not grasp the fact that marriage is an institution created and designed by God, how can they help?

The word sinners could easily refer to backslidden Christians. These people might claim to be saved or may even be active members in church, yet they are nominal Christians at best. They might be business men who use the word Christian as a way of putting customers at ease but then use questionable practices that cause some to feel uncomfortable. They might be people filling positions of leadership who are viewed by their coworkers as hypocrites because their testimony at work does not match up with what lost people expect from a Christian.

The word scornful refers to those people who have taken a very vocal and critical position against the church, the Lord, and His people. If a person advertises that he detests Christianity, why would any Christian be seeking his counsel in the first place?

All of these kinds of people may have achieved a degree of worldly success, fame, or wealth. However, their success in the world does not qualify them to have the mind of Christ. Does it matter if a person has the mind of Christ concerning business matters? The mind of Christ is especially important in business matters! At some point, their ideas will conflict with Biblical principles which will then bring about the temptation to compromise.

It would have been foolish for a good king like Jehoshaphat to seek advice from someone like Ahab. Why? Ahab had taken the position of being God’s enemy; and therefore, even if good decisions were being made, God could and would easily bring them to naught to frustrate their purposes.

The golden rule in decision making is that a Christian cannot go against the Scriptures and prosper.

Step #2 – HAVE THE CONVICTION THAT EVERY PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED WITH THE BIBLE.

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

Psalm 1:2

Why would anyone be able to find such delight in the Bible?

Delight in the Scriptures can only come about because of experience. A person must face a decision, use the Bible to arrive at an answer, and experience the satisfaction of knowing that his decision was correct.

How can the Bible, which was completed two thousand years ago, apply to situations and problems that exist today? In order to answer that question, we must first be willing to accept some very important statements.

First, God is all-knowing and knew of every problem mankind would face before the world was ever created.

Second, God is loving and wants to help us make the right decisions in life.

Third, God has a preference for everything, including how to handle every problem. Therefore, decision-making really comes down to a person’s willingness to live according to God’s preferences.

King Saul was a man who came to the place where he felt abandoned by God and was forced to take his own life. His last days were marked by frustration and despair as he sought for solutions in situations ranging from visiting the witch of Endor to lying to Samuel.

Step #3 – TRUST THE LORD TO BLESS THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIS WORD.

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Psalm 1:3

By making up our minds ahead of time that we will try to seek a spiritual solution to our problem, we are placing ourselves in a position where we know God can bless us! In what ways can or will God choose to bless those who are willing to trust Him with their problems?

He might perform a miracle to bring about His solution, as when He parted the Red Sea. He might control the circumstances to bring about His solution, as when He had King Ahab killed by a randomly shot arrow during a battle. He might change the heart of someone, as He did when He released Joseph from prison at the instigation of Pharaoh.

The bottom line is that our job is to trust, and His responsibility is to bring about His desired solution.

Step #4 – ONCE YOU MAKE A DECISION, DO NOT CHANGE HORSES IN MID-STREAM.

“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.”

Psalm 1:4

The primary characteristic about the ungodly and those whose solutions are based on worldly thinking is that they are constantly changing their decisions simply because they are based upon error instead of truth.

The Bible does not change. Therefore, a correct decision based on the Bible need not change either.

The evolutionists are an excellent example of this kind of mindset. They will find a bone, draw a man to fit the bone, and claim to have discovered the missing link or an earlier version of man. Then a couple of years later, they will find another bone, make another sketch, and make another claim that is even greater than the first. Because their theory is not based on Scripture, they must constantly be altering their ideas, findings, sketches, and theories because they have originated from error in search of the truth.

When a person makes a decision based on worldly thinking, he will only be comfortable as long as the world continues to
agree with him.

These worldly decisions are where fads come from. The world thinks that combat boots on women is great for a while. Then tattoos are in for a while. Then body piercing is in for a while. Then they like black fingernails for a while.

Years ago, it was not fashionable to have an illegitimate child. Now, it is not a problem. Years ago, it was not fashionable to have an abortion. Now, it is not a problem. Years ago, it was not fashionable to get a divorce. Now, it is not a problem.

The Bible has always taken a position on moral issues that has not changed. Therefore, once we have determined right and wrong from the Scriptures, there is no need to change, for change is compromise.

Step #5 – LEAVE THE RESULTS TO GOD.

“Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Psalm 1:5-6

The final results must be deposited into God’s hands regardless of the immediate outcome.

Right must be right, not because of the immediate results, but because it is right.

Joseph made a decision to keep his purity in spite of the attempts by Potiphar’s wife to seduce him. That decision landed him in prison for twelve years. John the Baptist made a decision to preach the truth, which resulted in his being beheaded.

No decision should be determined by its outcome but by whether or not it lines up with the Bible and is pleasing to
God. What are some practical steps that should be taken when making an important decision?

• A Christian should start reading the Bible more than normal in search for truth.
• He should start asking God to give to him His mind in the matter.
• He ought to begin assembling a cabinet of counselors who are godly people he is willing to possibly ask for advice.
• He should make a list of pros and cons so he can consider the options while praying without ceasing over the decision.
• If married, he should discuss the decision and be extremely careful if the spouse is not in agreement, for God will often use a spouse to guide an individual. If a couple is not in total agreement, it might be best to do nothing until God gives more light.
• He should try to make the decision from a neutral position which means he is fine with either way the decision goes because the goal is not to get a desired outcome but to discover God’s preference.
• Once a person is convinced that a decision is pleasing to God, he should move forward with it (and keep praying)!