Bishop Jacob Afolabi,  Photo copyright Black Ottawa Scene

DECISIONS! DECISIONS!

We all make decisions, sometimes on a daily basis.

If you decide for War, there would be Casualties to count!

If you decide for Peace, there would be Sacrifices to make!

If you decide to marry, there would be a Yoke to carry!

If you decide to divorce, there would be a Scar to nurse!

Decision is Judgment. Judgment is born of wisdom. Are you wise enough to judge, without bringing some repercussions on yourself?  Every decision you make affects your future, and the future of others too. (Matthew 7:1).

In the Natural world – all judgments belong to God.

In the Moral world – all judgments belong to God

In the Spiritual world – all judgments belong to God.

In all of LIFE, all judgments belong to God.

Since your decisions are judgments, seek God before you make decisions.  “Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust him, and he will help you.”

(Ps. 37:5 NLT)

When not to make decisions –  In moments of Anger – make no decisions (Psalm 39:1) Make no decisions. You are bound to be selfish, and probably self-destructive. (Gen. 49:5-7).  When anger comes in, the mind is often “closed,” and the mouth wide open.

When faced with Temptations – always decide on the side of God. 
(Matt.4:1-10). Being in God’s favor, even when things don’t seem right, and the pressure to do otherwise is strong,  So do not let anyone, or anything keep you away from your eternal destiny. (the purpose of temptation is to make your lose your place with God).

When in great Confusion make no decisions.  Put your trust in God first, then pray and seek the help of your brethren in prayers, for deliverance from the confusion, so your mind and heart would be clear to make the right decision. (Ps.71:1-8).

When in a Happy  Mood – be sober, from the excitement of happiness
Take a sober reflection before making a decision. The passion of happiness, like that of sorrow, makes us rather “weak” and incapable of reaching sound decisions. (When suitors are wooing you, get sober before you say “1 do”). (Ps.39:4,5).

When you… decide-not-to-Decide – measure the effect of your in-decision
Before you decide not to decide, or put-off a decision, remember that a decision is a bridge you may need to cross over once in your life time !!!

Exodus 20:3-17 …  God gave the Ten Commandments to assist us in making decisions. The Ten Commandments by God were addressed to the minds of men where decisions are made.  We are to ponder and think very well before we decide to cross the lines of God’s laws. Sin is a decision, a do-it-yourself engagement with the issues of life. (Phil.4:8).

Once ignorance is set aside, sin becomes a serpent that bites and wounds the person – even unto death (Romans 7:7). Having the knowledge of offences prevents us from rushing head-long into committing them. Few, very few, people die in ignorance of sins. Most people die in stubborn disregard of the pleasures offered by sin. 

SIN is SWEET!
Moses taught us to hold fast to our heritage of redemption, rather than embrace the sinful pleasures offered by this world. (Hebrew 11:24-26).  At the mention of “the pleasures of sin” we may wonder if it is true that sin is enticingly sweet.  

Our ancestral mother Eve gave us the recipe for sin – in the book of Genesis 3:6. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Her decision to eat the forbidden fruit was born out of her personal examination of THE FRUIT.   Sin is sweet, sin is powerful. It is amazing that such a thing can be defeated; but Jesus did it on the cross.

Decisions always carry a moral component.  Some are right;  “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you…” (Deut. 6:18)….We shall retain God’s presence and favor when we make decisions that reflect our obedience to Him.

Some are wrong: “But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.”  (Col. 3:25)….We should act and perform as if we are in God’s very presence – God weighs our motives.

Some are good:  “He has shown you, O man, what is good…”(Micah 6:8). Part of the components of our personalities is a moral compass, showing us what is good and what is not, so our decisions must follow the compass.

Some are evil: “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. (2Kings 21:11). It is great evil to deliberately mislead people into performing anything un-Godly.

 

About the writer

Nigerian-born Bishop Jacob Afolabi is Senior Pastor at the Christ Chapel Bible Church in Ottawa.  he is the recipient of many community awards, including the 2017 Black History Ottawa Community Builder award, for his many years of community work. He is the founder of the Ottawa Pastors’ forum and has  contributed inspiring articles in community newspapers and commentary on community radio stations, as well training a new generation of pastors. He can be reached at: [email protected].