Who will benefit from this decision or who will be hurt?
I wish more people would ask this question… we are so me-centric in our decision making style… How will this effect my life, my self with no worries about others. I actually fell into this trap recently and E called me out on it... I made a decision that I figured was no big deal but it involved a lot more people and should have been talked through i order to see how it effected the whole instead of just me. I am sure this has never happened to you... :)
This is simply a way to evaluate our decisions through its relational impact. Lets be clear... just because there will be difficulty or tension with the decision being made, that alone does not make it a bad decision.
In the Bible we have an example of how the early church navigated tough issues. When it came to non Jewish Christians and what customs and practices they should follow there was some debate.
This was especially true when it came to circumcision Now this was a sensitive issue for many reasons that will not take much imagination. Some were saying that the new gentile Christian needed to be circumcised. My guess is that most of them were lobbying for some sort of substitute, like a secret handshake or a tattoo.
After thinking it over, I am sure praying the Christian leaders came to this conclusion that we find in Acts 15,“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you.” Acts 15:28 (NIV)
When the decision is a toss up, a good way to decide is to ask the question what is the compassionate thing to do. Test the decision based on its effect on others. If it will effect them negatively then we have to be prepared for it… if it is a decision that is heartless and self serving then this should help to flesh it out.
I hope this helps you make a better decision.
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