When You Don't Know What To Do

     There are times in our lives when we have to make decisions and we aren't sure what's the best choice to make. I feel like most of us have been in that situation, and if you haven't, you probably will be at some point soon. Making godly choices can be so hard, especially when more than one way seems right. Here are some things to remember when we don't know what to do.

1. Is it expedient? (Will it build you up?)

1 Corinthians 10:23 says, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."

In this chapter, the Apostle Paul is talking about eating the meats sacrificed to idols. Obviously, idols are not real and are merely pointless statues. Nothing apart from God is holy, therefore there's nothing significant or important about a statue. However, some people were saying that for them to eat the meats offered to idols was wrong and ungodly. Paul is saying that all things are lawful, yes, people can eat the meat offered to idols, but all things are not expedient - all things might not help you in your Christian life. Expedient means beneficial. The things we do need to spiritually benefit us - they need to build us up.

2. Will it enslave you? (Will you become addicted?)

If we head over to 1 Corinthians 6:12, we see that this verse is very similar to the one used in the point above, and it says, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."

Once again, expedient here could also be translated beneficial. But we want to focus more on the last portion of this verse - I will not be brought under the power of any. Power here means dominated, enslaved or addicted. Paul is writing to the Corinthians here about going to law with one another over small matters, he is warning them to avoid the sins that they used to be addicted to, and he is advising them to avoid fornication. The Corinthians were abusing their liberty - they were saved and on their way to Heaven, but they were not using their freedom in godly ways. We must use our liberty given by God to make wise choices, otherwise we can become addicted or subdued by temptations. When making choices, we have to ask ourselves if we will become enslaved.

3. Will you be setting a good example? (Does it offend your brother?)

We can look at 1 Corinthians 12:24, which says, "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." 

We know the context of this verse by looking at the first point. Wealth here could mean, good, moral welfare, or advantage. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's good. When people were eating the meat offered to idols, their brothers in Christ were offended and hurt by the action. Although it was lawful for them to eat the meat, it didn't edify their brothers in Christ. If what we want to do is going to make us a bad example to our brothers and sisters, we can see from this verse that we probably shouldn't do it. It should be our goal to have a benevolent spirit and to look for ways to help others. The choices we make should set us up as good, godly examples.

4. Does it help you evangelize? (Will it damage your testimony?)

Staying in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 33 says, "Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

Paul's main goal was getting people saved. The choices we make need to show others that we love the Lord. We need to have a consistent, godly testimony. If we do things that make us seem hypocritical or two faced, we are damaging our testimony to unsaved people. We should not be seeking our own profit by the things that we do, but we should attempt to profit or benefit others, that through our testimony others should be saved. 

5. Who does it exalt? (Does it glorify God or yourself?)

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whatsoever therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

No matter what we do in our lives, we need to always be giving God the glory. This verse is pretty simple - in whatever you do, DO ALL to the glory of God. We are so busy in our day to day lives - we have work, school, church, random errands, ect. Every day is full of "stuff" we have to get done. Whatever we do throughout our day, everything needs to honor God. If it's not honoring God, it's something we should not be doing. So the final way to make a godly choice is to ask yourself, does this bring glory to God?

I hope these 5 points will help you as much as they've helped me. There have been times when I've looked back at this list, which I have written in the back of my Bible, and asked myself these questions:

Will it build me up? 

Will I become addicted?

Will it offend my brothers and sisters in Christ? 

Will it damage my testimony?

Does it glorify God? 

Stay excellent!

(Derived from a sermon preached by my dad in November 2015)