The Seven C’s of Decision-Making
Devotions for Growing Christians
The Seven C’s of Decision-Making
Isaiah 30:21 - Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.
“Sailing the Seven Seas” is a phrase that describes a mariner who navigates through all the major oceans of the world. The "Seven C's" in our title, however, describes a method for Christ-followers to navigate through the “Sea of Life,” while successfully discerning God’s will.
Every person's life consists of innumerable decisions. These decisions range from very important to insignificant, but every decision can be made with confidence when God is in control of our ship. At times we may try to navigate on our own, and we may make bad decisions. But if we look to God and acknowledge our mistakes, He will provide us with navigational aids and proper course corrections for our lives.
Isaiah 30:21 is just one of many promises of navigational help that God has given us in His Word. In the context of Isaiah 30, this promise is specifically directing the nation of Israel to return to the Lord, but it can certainly be applied to Christians today. It assures us that when we need to make decisions about the compass headings on our Sea of Life, the Lord will tell us which way to go.
All the C's listed here are vitally necessary, because any one “C” by itself can be misused. Christians can be very adept at manipulating the Bible to “confirm” just about any decision they want to make! However, taking all the C’s into account prevents the misuse of God’s word or the twisting of decisions towards purely personal desires.
1. Communication
Communication is the most important of the seven C's. The primary way that God communicates with us is through His Word, and the primary way we communicate with God is through prayer. Scripture contains the navigational charts, and it guards and supports the other "C's."
When it comes to making decisions, most of what we need to know is quite obvious from the words of Scripture. Questions like, “Should I lie on a job application?” or “Should I marry an unbeliever?” or “Should I do devotions with my family?” don’t require an in-depth, decision-making process. These answers are easy to find in the pages of Scripture.
When it comes to more in-depth decisions about your job, your marriage, or family devotions, etc., the Bible provides principles that we can follow. These types of answers may not be as clearly stated in Scripture, but numerous biblical guidelines are available.
For example:
- When looking for a new job, Deuteronomy 6:7 and Hebrews 10:24-25 indicate that you should not apply for any type of employment that would prevent you from fulfilling your family and church responsibilities.
- When looking for a spouse, Genesis 2:18 and Amos 3:3 indicate that if someone doesn’t share the same heart and passion for service to God, then that person is probably not the best spouse for you.
- When debating whether family devotions are worth your time and energy, Ephesians 6:4 and Deuteronomy 4:9 indicate their importance in the life of a child.
The more biblical guidelines for making decisions that you know and put into practice, the more obvious your decisions and actions will become.
Prayer is also vital for making decisions. Even though God already knows all about the decisions we should make, He still wants us to communicate our thoughts and feelings to Him. He wants us to depend on Him for help. Good parents know what's best for a particular child, but they still want their children to communicate and seek guidance in their decision-making. In the same way, God wants us to communicate with Him in about our decisions.
2. Convictions
The inner convictions of the Holy Spirit are also important in decision-making. Since the Holy Spirit lives in every believer, every Christian should have these convictions. These convictions will always be in line with God's perfect will for us, and they’re crucial when it comes to making right decisions (see John 14:26, 16:13 and 1 John 2:27).
The problem, of course, is confusing the convictions of the Holy Spirit with the desires of our selfish nature. It’s easy to convince ourselves of “God’s leading” when we’re looking for a way to put God’s stamp of approval on our personal wishes. The expression "The Lord told me" has often been used to mask the reality of "I told the Lord!" Convictions of the Holy Spirit must always be carefully considered in the light of all the Seven C's.
3. Common Sense
We often take common sense for granted, but it’s a big part of making good decisions. In fact, most decisions in life are small, common sense scenarios. God doesn’t expect us to spend our time praying about what kind of toothbrush to use or what shoes to wear. We don’t wear flip-flops when it’s snowing! We use common sense!
But even those little decisions matter to God. The turn of major events sometimes hinges on the tiniest decisions in life. God knows all the factors and variables, and He will fit these small decisions into the overall pattern of our lives. God has given us "sanctified common sense" as part of His navigational system, so it's our responsibility to use it for wise decision-making.
4. Composition
God has made us all differently. He has sovereignly put us together with different likes and dislikes, looks and brains, abilities and spiritual gifts… and all these things come into play in the way God guides us. For example, would the Lord be guiding you to become a singer or instrumentalist if He hasn't blessed you with musical ability? Probably not. (Read Psalm 33:3, and notice the word “skillfully”!) However, if you like kids and communicate well with children or teens, God may be guiding into youth ministry.
1 Peter 4:10 tells us that “God has given each of us a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts, and we should use them well to serve one another.” On the Sea of Life, God uses all kinds of “boats.” Tugboats, yachts, oil tankers, fishing boats, aircraft carriers…etc. They all work perfectly together when they're willing to do the job He designed them to do!
5. Counsel
The counsel of other believers helps us make decisions. Proverbs 11:14 says that "there is safety in many advisors." In context, this verse is about decisions affecting a nation, but personal decision-making is certainly an application. Mature, godly Christians can often point us in the right direction, and help us sort through our decisions.
It’s important to note that it says “many advisors.” There’s a danger that a lone advisor, even a professional Christian counselor, may give you a biased opinion, or bad "compass reading" that will blow you off course. We should always consult several godly men and women. It’s helpful if they also have experience in navigating the specific area where you need to make a decision. Like channel markers, they can point out the potential rocks and shoals in your path. This is the way the Body of Christ should work, and it’s a primary way God guides us in making decisions.
6. Circumstances
If we believe that God is sovereign, all-knowing, all-powerful and all-present, is there any circumstance that’s out of His control? Of course not! Nothing happens by mere chance. God controls all circumstances, and He can send just the right “winds” to nudge our ship in the best direction.
But again, we must be careful to take all “Cs” into consideration. We shouldn’t make decisions based only on circumstances. What looks like a “closed door” may actually be a door waiting to be knocked upon. (See Matthew 7:7.) And a favorable situation isn’t a guaranteed “open door.” A job offer with a higher salary, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean that God is directing us to pack up and relocate. Let’s not force our own interpretations on circumstances with attractive outward appearances. Satan may even attempt to manipulate circumstances to blow us off course. (See 2 Corinthians 2:11 and 11:14.) We should prayerfully analyze the circumstances along with the other “Cs” in God’s navigational system.
7. Control
There are times when God steps in and takes complete control of the decision-making process. To illustrate this idea, imagine a model train operator using remote controls to guide the movement of the model trains. Sometimes, however, the operator must reach into the train layout and adjust or directly move a boxcar or an engine by hand. In the same way, God sometimes may reach into our situation and take control.
For example, in the normal decision-making process, a good offer on our house may be an indication that God wants us to move. But if our house "just happens" to burn to the ground, we can be sure that God wants us to move! Although that isn't a very pleasant illustration, it does make the point that sometimes the Lord takes the decision-making process completely out of our hands. If we’re suddenly removed from one ministry and find ourselves in the midst of a new ministry, without having made any decisions ourselves, that’s a good indication that God is taking control of our guidance system.
God clearly used the "C" of control in many biblical accounts. The life of Paul is just one example. God took direct control of Paul’s life in Acts 9:3-6, and then directly controlled many of his missionary journeys (Acts 16:6-10, for example). Sometimes God controls our decisions because He knows of some impending danger, or a future turn of events that a common sense approach would miss. Sometimes God just graciously chooses to use the "C" of Control to deliver us from the dilemma of doubt in the decision-making process.
The Sea of Life is difficult to navigate, and there are always hazards to avoid. Knowing and using God's navigational system will help us make good decisions - decisions that will help us avoid disaster, and keep us on course with God's will for our lives.
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2021, Ron Reid)