Eyes on JesusSample

Remember researching for a school paper? For some it’s remembering further back than others. I even remember going to a physical library and using the Dewey Decimal System. Wow, that’s old! No matter what the subject, if you wanted to write a paper worthy of a good grade, you needed to do your research. 

Many times, the subject was unfamiliar to me, so I had to really make sure that I was thorough in my research. I still remember my favorite paper in high school about the Loch Ness Monster. It created a desire in me to someday see the famous lake in Scotland. 

Now imagine if you put together a research paper in an hour using fancy words with no real substance, you didn’t cite any meaningful sources, and you did not follow the basic formatting rules. It would certainly fail! 

When we make decisions as Christians, we cannot rely on our own knowledge but God’s. We have to “do our research” which transpires, primarily, in the Bible. The Holy Spirit can quicken discernment in a second, but most major decisions require prayer, Biblical knowledge, advice from Godly people in your life, time, and more prayer! 

Many sins are done in the spur of the moment, without ever contemplating your actions fully. We give in to the desires of the flesh and many times regret our decision. Consider anger, lust, envy, jealously, and even something as serious as murder is often done in the passion of the moment. 

As a culture we like fast decisions; even in leadership courses they will tell you a good leader can make decisions on their feet with minimal thought. This can be a great leadership quality, but as Christians, sometimes we need to wait on the Lord and renew our strength as Isaiah 40:31 teaches us. 

Reflect: What is a decision that you made in haste that you should have taken more time to pray about? What do you need to be patient and wait on the Lord for?