This week, I’ve been really aware of decisions that I make, on a daily basis.

Things like: “what am I going to eat? What am I going to wear? How I am going to spend my time, or money?”

Decisions that seem tiny, decisions that seem automatic – my day is full of them. So is yours!

I feel like God wants to show us that if we honour Him in the seemingly meaningless decisions, as well as the big ones, we will find life much easier.

In other words: if we choose to be led by the Holy Spirit in every big – or small – decision, we will have more joy, more peace, more patience and more strength. We will enjoy our lives that little bit more! And who doesn’t want that?

Here’s three things that I feel God has been talking to me about on the subject of decision-making.

1. Be Mindful of the Decisions You Are Making

A couple of days ago, I called a friend. We were talking about New Year plans. In the midst of conversation, I realised that I had agreed to something, flippantly. In other words, I had given my consent to something, which I really wasn’t feeling whole-hearted about.

Oh no!

I don’t know about you, but I regularly I make decisions without being mindful.

I often say “yes” without checking my calendar. Sometimes a whole packet of biscuits disappears in a couple of days, simply because I was mindlessly grabbing one with every cup of tea poured…

Other times, I say “no” too quickly. I make excuses. I write an opportunity off. “It’s impossible for me,” I say. Or “It doesn’t work with my circumstances…”

Maybe you’ve done the same?

Becoming aware of automatic reactions requires a bit of thought. So, take ten minutes and think back to the last few decisions you made.

Maybe you’ve made some big work decisions, or maybe you’ve simply decided what to buy from the supermarket!

Whatever your decisions, just pause for a moment and ask yourself: “Why did I make those choices?”

“Was I people pleasing? Was I honouring God? Was I being selfish?”

This isn’t about beating yourself up mentally, it is just about being honest with yourself about your motives.

You might be really surprised to see how quickly you opted into things, without hesitation. Or maybe you are becoming aware of an opportunity you said “no” to, when God was prompting a “yes.”

2. Be Mindful of God’s Forgiveness

The Bible says:

If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9, NIV, my brackets.

It also says:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1, KJV.

When I choose to do something with a selfish, ‘fleshy’ motive – whether binge-eating chocolate or telling white lies, God absolutely forgives me when I confess and ask for His mercy.

And guess what – He does not condemn me for my bad choice.

Let’s get this straight: God forgives all of my sins; He doesn’t mentally beat me up when I do things wrong.

Yet, if I chose to eat a chocolate-only diet, I am sure, like any good father, God would want better for my body. Similarly, if I kept getting myself into a mess of white lies and confusion, His fatherly love would want me to leave those dishonest webs on Jesus’ cross. Honestly and freedom is what He wants for me.

Ultimately, the choice is mine. I can make a good choice or a bad one. I can use my freedom to do either. I could ask God to help me walk forward towards a healthy diet, I could ask God to help me overcome any addiction or people-pleasing, or whatever problem I face.

If I mess up and confess, He forgives.

That kind of love makes me want to do the right thing more than if He were to condemn me.

It’s freeing, right?

Maybe I am the only one who mentally condemns myself. But if you are beating yourself up because you acted selfishly, or did something wrong you can also receive God’s forgiveness. Just tell God what you did wrong and thank Him that He forgives you completely. He doesn’t hold it against you.

Then you can put an end to those condemning, self-critical thoughts in your mind. Take the pressure off! In terms of decision-making – for me – reflecting on God’s forgiveness has been a real game changer. I am now able to make decisions, without beating myself up when I get things wrong.

Let yourself off the hook just as God lets you off the hook. He paid the price, so you didn’t have to!

3. Be Mindful of God’s Benefits

Psalm 103 says:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 103: 2, KJV.

This week, God spoke to me about the benefits of following Him. You see, when you choose to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps you out, on a daily basis!

If you follow the Holy Spirit’s niggles and suggestions, this is what you can expect:

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:

• Joy that overflows.
• Peace that subdues.
• Patience that endures.
• Kindness in action.
• A life full of virtue.
• Faith that prevails.
• Gentleness of heart.
• Strength of spirit.

Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.

Galatians 5:22-23, TPT

Let me ask you a question that a good mentor and friend asked me this week: if you really believed the above statement, what would your life look like?

Because, when you really believe that God is good, when you are certain that He has good things in store for you – life changes.

I don’t want you to read this blog post and think you have to do a million things to be more Godly! I want you to read this and feel the freedom to evaluate your heart – do you actually believe you are free and loved and blessed and redeemed? Do you truly believe that He has set joy and peace and patience before you, today?

Here is a story that might help you… Yesterday, it was really cold outside and I was tempted to spend my morning inside, in our local supermarket, buying things that our family didn’t need, with money that we didn’t plan to spend…

Instead, I prayed “Holy Spirit, lead me in all my decisions today.” After saying that prayer, I felt it wasn’t right for me to spend the morning splashing out at the local store! I had a cheap lunch date with my daughter and she absolutely loved every second! She waved at other diners, she ate so much food for £2.79 and she got a free toy that made her smile beam, ear to ear!

Turns out, the bible was right – God had a lot of joy in store for me that day, I just needed to be aware and obedient to the Holy Spirit’s prompting in my life.

Steal that prayer! Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and then notice what comes to your mind as soon as you’ve asked that question. If it lines up with the word of God, take action! See what joy lies ahead for you today!

Conclusion

Maybe you have been set to automatic for the past month, or so? Maybe you’ve adopted routines, habits or coping mechanisms that get you through, rather than help you thrive?

I dare you to hit the reset button, at least once this week! Instead of rushing into decisions, spend a few moments using the above three points: Pause before you act. Understand that you are forgiven and that God won’t mentally beat you up if you make a “bad” choice. Delight in the adventure of following the Holy Spirit’s niggles. Give yourself a dose of grace when you miss those prompts! He never leaves you!

I’d love to know your outcomes after reflecting on the three above points, in the comments below.

P.S… If you read my previous post and you are wondering whether I found out the gender of my next baby… I did! It’s a girl!