I’ve heard it said, “Life is a journey, not a sprint”.

Ain’t that the truth.

Life is amazing and complicated, full of twists and turns. One moment you’re on the mountaintop feeling like the luckiest person on earth. Two seconds later you’re flat on your back, wondering how in the world that giant speeding train made its way off the track and straight into your living room.

30 seconds can change your life forever, and sometimes it does so in ways that you never saw coming.

But, more often, life is full of varying shades of green and grays in between the touch-the-sky ‘blues’ and soul-rendering desert-experience ‘yellows’.

Our more difficult seasons seem like they might never end, and our winning heavyweight championship seasons usually seem like they are far too few. However, the truth is we typically live in the everyday mode, where every day is made of

a million moments, and innumerable choices.

Often we give little thought to those daily minute choices, and how they come together, and work together, to form and fuel the greater unintended decisions and unseen events in our lives.

Hindsight is never really 20-20, but the view is truly and considerably clearer.

Yet, regardless of our inability to understand the full impact of our choices, we are responsible for how our decisions shape our lives and affect the lives of those around us.

Like a never-ending symphony, our choices come together to formulate the music of our lives in sometimes beautiful, and sometimes completely discordant ways. Rare are the occasions when our decisions are completely random and uninfluenced by outside or inner motivators. Further, we may or may not be able to easily identify those motivators.

There are times when we feel certain of why we are inclined to a particular choice. Yet, a closer examination will reveal hidden agendas and deeply embedded feelings that we have yet to examine or honestly confront. Childhood pain, parental rejection, abandonment by a spouse or partner, betrayal by a loved one, personal and professional failures, self-disappointment, low self-image, fear and pride are just a few examples of the types of obstacles that we may face as we go about the daily task of decision making.

Our past serves as a critical component of the lens through which we view our lives, our future and the world around us.

Sometimes our feelings about a particular issue are so confused and convoluted that we grow weary simply contemplating how to begin untangling them.

Our emotions can make it difficult to make a rationale choice, or to understand why we are having trouble making the choice. If we are determined to walk in a Spirit-led manner, living according to biblical principles, we may find our decisions further challenged!

What’s a humble but exacerbated Christian to do when an important situation arises that seems to demand a choice, but no pleasing or easy answer seems forthcoming?

Perhaps, nothing.

At least for the moment.

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I have learned that when I am at the crossroads of indecision, it is best to

Stop

This includes talking. Often our emotions will try to lead us in a particular direction to avoid potential harm or difficulty. In an attempt to justify a decision, we may find ourselves rehearsing past mistreatment or abuse to others and ourselves. While these grievances may be real, focusing on and reliving them may not be conducive to that which God desires to accomplish through the situation and within our lives.

Breathe

Having to wade through and wrestle with negative emotions and an uncertain future can lead to feelings of fear, and then anger. Appropriately applied these feelings allow us to walk in an upright and holy manner before God. However, when given into, these feelings allow the enemy of our souls to lead us away from the peace that only comes by trusting in an All-powerful, faithful and loving Savior.

Pray

God loves you and He loves me. He loves us passionately. He loves us wholly and completely and more than we can imagine. And like a loving Father, He longs to give us good gifts. His eyes are continually on us, and He knows what we need, as well as what we desire. When we were separated from the family of God because of our sin, we were not adopted as sons and daughters. But, once we have accepted the gracious gift of salvation, and taken our place as heirs, we have the right to come before Him with praise and petition. But even more magnificent is the knowledge that He is attentive to our prayers. So we can pray and then we can

Wait.

Truthfully, this step might prove the least easily accomplished. But, each new victory and answered prayer strengthens our faith as we are reminded of God’s faithfulness.  Therefore, with expectant hearts and hands raised in ready praise, we can trust that His answer on it’s way. From the moment that our prayer leaves our lips, our petition is heard, and God begins to respond. If our vision is limited in regards to our own ability to make decisions, how much more limited is it in regards to the millions of choices and decisions that make up the many interconnected lives of those individuals who directly and indirectly affect our destiny? We may not see a reason for the delay we experience when waiting on God. But, we can trust that like the waves in the ocean, God’s provision and promises are continually and powerfully moving and manifesting in untold directions, affecting us all an unimaginable ways.

God is amazingly adept at answering our prayers while we patiently trust Him for the outcome.

As a matter of fact, He not only agrees to help us, He loves to help us!

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. James 1:5-8 (MSG)

For further study: Proverbs 3:5-12, Ephesians 4:26-27, Isaiah 41:8-10, 1 Peter 3:12, Daniel 10:12

All scripture is taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.