To a great degree the outcomes of our lives are determined by the decisions we make. Each day we are called upon to choose attitudes and actions that will ultimately affect our character, our relationships, our career, our spirituality and our destiny.

A major proposition of the Bible is that God loves us. We matter to Him. Certainly if we matter to Him, so do the outcomes of our lives. God wants to partner with us in our decision making so that we might realize those desired results (Jeremiah 29:11). He created us that we might honor Him by exercising our freedom to make good choices. The inbuilt jeopardy of that freedom is the potential to make poor and disastrous choices. Just as any parent wants to see their children making good decisions, God wants us to make decisions that will result in successful outcomes. He is able to work with us and get us back on track even if we have made poor decisions. God does not become our partner automatically; or by accident. He becomes our partner when we choose to call out and submit to Him.

The ability to make good decisions requires wisdom, understanding and discipline (Proverbs 1:2; 23:23). 'Wisdom' is the ability to honor God with our decisions. It enables us to make appropriate choices in regard to both our attitudes and actions. It is the key ingredient to the successful outcome of our lives. 'Understanding' is the result of the transmission of true spiritual insight. This insight may be gained through the communication of God's thought by the Holy Spirit through the Word, through experience, or through the instrumentality of another person. 'Discipline' refers to the purposeful ordering of our lives to ensure that our primary objectives of honoring God are being accomplished. The spiritual attribute of self-control causes us to submit competing passions, conflicting agendas, and distracting pursuits to the higher call of our choice to honor God with our attitudes and actions.

God assists us in decision making by giving us a revelation of the priorities and the necessary parameters for our choices in the Bible. He also promises to give us, through the Spirit, the power for following through on them. In order to make good decisions we must be disciplined to let the message of Christ and the principles of the Word dwell richly in us, so they are received with understanding. He promises us 'wisdom from above' that is pure in its motives, peace loving in its methods- considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).

For example, where we might not be told directly through Scripture whether or whom to marry, we are given guardrails to help steer our course towards a godly decision. 1Corinthians 7 gives us the understanding that both marriage and singleness are to be received and stewarded as gifts. There are some obvious trade-offs for each. In choosing a partner, wisdom admonishes us to seek an equal yoke, that is someone who shares your commitment to the ultimate goal of glorifying God with your lives (your time, talents and treasures). Through the Bible we learn the meaning of marriage- a man and woman exhibiting God's covenant love in order to establish and model a community of oneness on the earth. The wisdom from above gives us the pure motivation for us to consistently make the love of God credible to our spouse. Through the Scriptures we understand why God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).

The Bible gives us strong guidance in regard to how to conduct ourselves in the workplace, how to handle our sexuality, how to spend our money, how to prepare the next generation for the future.

The Bible gives us wisdom in regard to how we spend our time. He prescribes adequate time for building relationships, exercising our spiritual priesthood in the home and our spiritual gifts in ministry, encouraging us to take time for rest and spiritual nurture as well as time for work.

Often when it comes to making decisions regarding where we live and where we work, we fail to appropriate the wisdom that comes from above. We are so alive to the 'wisdom of this world' that we make choices that are spiritually disastrous. Heaven's wisdom gives our lives eternal focus. In taking a new job, choosing a life-partner, moving to a new location, don't shortchange yourself by failing to consider how you can best glorify God, be spiritually enriched and enrich others by participating in God's purposes in fellowship with His people. If your proposed decision doesn't give you that option, reconsider now.

Take the wisdom that comes from above. If you don't have it, ask for it (James 1:5). God promises that by our choosing prescribed attitudes and actions, conflicts can be resolved, difficulties overcome, and positive changes made.