Making Good Decisions

During the months of November and December, I felt the Lord leading me to have our congregation read one chapter a day from the Book of Proverbs. So on Thanksgiving Day, our congregation would have read Proverbs Chapter 22. Why Proverbs? Because a new year is approaching, bringing with it many challenges. Proverbs is the one book in the Bible that’s written specifically to help readers gain wisdom.

Proverbs 1:1-2 specifically states that “These are the proverbs of Solomon [the wisest man in the Bible]. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom” (NLT). I agree with what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:7 that “Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment” (NLT, 1996).

So what is wisdom? One definition of wisdom is simply “good judgment.” Since one of the definitions of judgment is “decision,” wisdom can also be defined as “making good decisions.” In a November 6th, 2007, USA Today article entitled Even Good CEOs can Pick the Wrong Direction, writer Del Jones has some interesting thoughts regarding leadership that are rarely discussed. The article states:

“The secret to leadership may not boil down to that ‘vision thing.’ It may not be some exceptional ability to ‘inspire’ others, nor the courage to zig when all signs point to zag. Fresh research by top leadership gurus suggests that if great leaders have something in common, it could be this: A knack for escaping lapses of bad judgment.”

Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis have co-authored a new book entitled Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls. After the firings of the CEOs of Merrill Lynch and Citigroup for poor decision making, Tichy states, “With good judgment, little else matters. Without it, nothing else matters.”

If one were to look up the etymology (the history of a word) of the word “good,” one would discover that it is derived from the word “God.” Thus, the word “good-bye” means “God be with Ye.” A good man is a “God” man, that is, a man who acts like God in his character. So what’s a good decision? A good decision is a God decision. It is a decision that God would make if He were in our shoes.

And this is why reading the Book of Proverbs is so essential, not simply for our congregation, but for me personally. I need wisdom. I need good judgment. I need to make “God” decisions regarding the college my daughter will attend next year, how to lead our congregation, as well as how to be a good parent and a good (God) husband.

And I’m not alone! We all will face decisions in the upcoming year that could permanently alter our lives positively or negatively. What job should we take? Who should we marry? Where should we live? What church should we join? With all these decisions and so many, many choices, you can now see why Solomon told us that “Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do.” I invite your thoughts.