What's in your decision?

I have a decision to make; an expensive decision. Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’re in the middle of one now. Every night, I read myself to sleep. I think it’s a latent childhood routine that’s morphed into dependency. What goes into my mind comes out in action, so the last thing I read at night is not the news! Overnight whatever words I read germinate in my sleep so my first thoughts of the day are positive and compelling. Step into the first light with me this morning.

I have a decision to make; an expensive decision. I thought I had settled on the answer – until yesterday. And now, here I am in a dilemma. Are you curious? I know. I’m curious too, and it’s going to be an interesting adventure through the decision maze. On Monday I alluded to a maze and how advantageous it would be to work backward through it. Now is one of those times. Let’s start at the beginning – the back story of this quandary. In 1990 I was working at an organization where new technology was introduced on a regular basis; a virtual Mecca for an information junkie like me. I took an online course – and from then on I was hooked. Since that time I have centered my career immersed in writing instructions, procedures, how-tos, and technical stuff that nobody wants to read. Years have passed, and I still want to write, but I want to create material for online audiences of all ages from toddlers to adults. To do that I need three things.

1) God’s seal of approval – John 6:27 says “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

2) Software – to create and transform material into courseware – I need wisdom to make the right decision. Haven’t we all read Proverbs 3:7 that says “Be not wise in your own eyes …”? But I got a kick out of reading Romans 12 in the New Living Translation when I got to the end of Romans 12:16 “…And don’t think you know it all!” Oh brother! Come on – I don’t know it all . . . and to make this decision I have asked experts for their recommendations. I have the knowledge – now I need the wisdom. When I woke up this morning, God challenged me with this realization. “Have you really prayed about this, Jane? Have you dedicated this decision to Me and trust me to reveal it – on time – My time?”

3) Clients – who will trust me to transform their written material into online courses. This is definitely a yet-to-come adventure. So far I have zero clients and zero prospects, but that can change in a heartbeat. Do you know how I know? Because Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I take James 4:3 seriously. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” and to guard against wrong motives, I know I have to practice Psalm 115:11 “You who fear him, trust in the Lord— he is their help and shield.” And if none of this works out, I’m Ok with that too. Because my ultimate goal is to live my life to honor and please God. Isaiah 46:11 confirms this “What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”

Jeremiah 29:11 is the packaging for a victorious outlook on life. Don’t leave home without this truth trailing you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Today, do you have a decision to make? Have you, like me, searched for wise counsel but haven’t really dedicated the decision to the one who holds the results in his hands? Be wise. Give the decision to the God who can make a difference. Proverbs 24:14 “Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

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