The #1 Key for Making Right DecisonsSample

Day 6 - When the Pressure’s On

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is making decisions under pressure, instead of taking time to seek God’s direction. I always remind myself that pressure very often comes from the devil. God will never pressure us!

One friend says it this way: “The Holy Spirit leads gently from the inside; the devil drives you.” If you feel like you’re being driven to make a decision, stop right there! Don’t make a decision just because the pressure’s on. It’s very likely to be the wrong decision. Why? Because it’s very difficult to hear God’s voice and direction when you’re tense and under pressure.

A perfect example of this is when you’re buying a car (or stereo or furniture or any other big-ticket item). No offense to any salesmen reading this (because you’re great at what you do), but salesmen are usually experts at putting pressure on customers to buy. They’ll say things like, “It’s on sale today only—if you don’t buy right now, you’ll miss a great deal,” or, “I can’t guarantee it’ll still be here if you wait.”

Anytime you get that “It has to be right now!” feeling, stop, and take a moment to be aware of what’s happening. Ask yourself, “Does it have to be right now?” And ask the Lord, “Father, should I wait on this?”

There will be emergencies when things need to be done right away. But in general, I tend to back away from pressure on general principles, even if the pressure is on to take advantage of a deal on that car, stereo system, or furniture piece. It’s not the last great deal that I’ll ever come across. I’ve learned that it’s better to wait until I feel God’s peace about something than to jump in because it has to be done right now.

The devil loves to put the pressure on. He’ll bring thoughts like, “This is your only chance. If you make the wrong decision here, it’s over for you!” You have to remember, that he’s a liar (John 8:44). So it’s probably not your only chance. God is the God of second chances. And it’s probably not the last blessing that will ever be available to you. Don’t let pressure make decisions for you.