Decision Paralysis

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Joel 3:14

Multitudes, multitudes,
    in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
    in the valley of decision.

(ESV)

Decisions are a part of everyone’s daily life.  While most decisions we make daily are small involving simple things like what to eat or wear, life also has big decisions like what career to choose or who to marry.  It is these big decisions that cause us to struggle and can even lead to decision paralysis. 

Decision paralysis often occurs when we become overcome with fear of making an incorrect decision.  While no one wants to make a bad or wrong decision, failure to make any decision at all due to decision paralysis is in essence making a decision, a decision that is usually wrong.  We therefore must overcome decision paralysis by,

1)      Taking time to pray and seek God’s wisdom – Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that waiting on the Lord renews our strength.  While seeking God’s wisdom in the decision process there may be, and most likely will be, a waiting period since God knows our future and the consequences of our decisions and has perfect timing.  In other words, God will help us arrive at the right decision but He will do it in His perfect timing which may not agree with our time.  Unfortunately, we tend to be impatient and may give into the temptation to jump out ahead of God’s own timing and push forward with the decision we believe is right, only to have things end in disaster. 

2)      Seek Godly wisdom from a fellow believer we can trust – While we are seeking wisdom from God in prayer, it is also wise to seek Godly wisdom from a trusted fellow believer (Proverbs 11:14).  We should seek out someone that we can trust who has faced a similar decision in their lives.  God will often use a fellow believer to confirm something God is already speaking about to our hearts. 

3)      Resisting temptation to give in to fear or political correctness – Once arriving at the decision we believe is right for us, we must remember that the enemy is crafty and will always make a point to send someone our way to serve as a nay-sayer trying to get us off track.  These nay-sayers will often resort to fear telling us we are not good enough, or smart enough to embark on whatever God is leading us to do.  They may also tell us that doing whatever God has led us to do is not popular or politically correct and even disown us as a friend or family member.  This represents a fragile moment in our decision-making process.  However, we can find strength in knowing that fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7) and that God’s ways are not the worlds ways (Isaiah 55:8) and thus often viewed by the world as not being wise or politically correct.  We therefore must press on with God’s plan for our life and not give in to the temptation to quit.

4)      Acting out of courage and strength (Joshua 1:9) – Even though Joshua was one of only two to return from spying out the Promised Land with a positive report, the prospect of now leading the next generation of Israelites into the Promised Land must have been daunting.  In Joshua 1:1-9 God commissions Joshua with the dubious duty of leading the nation of Israel across the Jordan and into the Promised Land.  There are many enemies in the Land but just as God promised Moses He would drive all of these enemies out of the Land (Exodus 34:11), he is now commissioning Joshua to be the one through which this will occur.  God never commissions us to do something without also providing the resources necessary to carry out His plan for us.  We therefore can like Joshua act out of courage in strength knowing God will enable us to overcome any obstacle the enemy throws in our path.

Our world is in trouble and in need of Godly leadership not stifled by decision paralysis.  In (Matthew 9:37) Jesus reminds us that the harvest is ripe but the laborers are few.  I therefore urge my readers who have decided to make Jesus their savior to not succumb to decision paralysis but to move forward with what God leads them to do with their lives.

I cannot conclude this post without giving anyone who has not made the decision to make Jesus their savior an opportunity to do so now.  You can rest assured that this is a wise Godly decision for there are most likely many friends and family members already praying that you would make this decision.  You can also rest assured it is the right decision for God does not want anyone to die without making this decision (2 Peter 3:9).  Therefore, do not allow decision paralysis to prevent you from making this life changing decision and pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Now go out and tell someone else about your decision so they can be freed from decision paralysis and experience salvation from God.