Having guidance to make good decisions is one of the most beneficial aspects of being a devoted follower of Christ.

If you need to make a decision about a job or about a relationship, or about what to do in any area of your life, you can count on God directing you in these 3 ways:

1. The Bible

Everything we do must be in agreement with God’s Word. Of course, the best way to know God’s Word is to study the Bible every day. A mind that is trained in the Word of God can know the mind of God in any situation.

Just be careful how you apply God’s Word in your life. Don’t just choose a random Bible verse without looking at its context. This is a form of divination, which is forbidden by God. (See Deuteronomy 18:10.) It’s said that a man was desperately seeking God’s guidance for a decision he had to make. He closed his eyes and opened the Bible somewhere near the back, his eyes randomly falling on a verse that referred to Judas hanging himself following his betrayal of Christ. In anguish, he closed the Bible and blindly opened it again, hoping for guidance. Upon opening to a random verse, his eyes fell on the words “go and do thou likewise.” Obviously this is not a way to get guidance from God.

A devoted follower of Christ must be a serious student of the Word of God. Our mind is trained to be in agreement with the mind of God when we study the Word of God every day. Memorizing key passages of the Bible will also train our mind to make decisions that are in line with God’s will.

Here’s a few promises for those who love God’s Word:

• Psalm 119:9, 11: How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your Word. I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
• Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.

2. The Holy Spirit

As a follower of Christ, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. That means that you have direct access to God. It works like this: We pray TO God, THROUGH Jesus, IN the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as it is best to be a daily student of the Bible to have God’s guidance, so it is with direction from the Holy Spirit. It is best to have a daily, intimate walk with God through prayer if you want to be led by the Spirit. In God’s grace and love, he will “speak” to us by bringing applicable Bible passages to our mind, by providing advice through Christian friends, or just bringing ideas into our minds through prayer. God will guide us whenever we listen to him, but those who invest time each day with the Holy Spirit in prayer will recognize His guidance better than those who just drop in occasionally.

I would like to introduce you to the Biblical concept of keeping in step with the Spirit. Like two people walking side by side must keep in step with each other in order to end up at the same place, so we must learn to keep in step with the Spirit of God.

Paul says in Romans 8:14 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” We can rely on God’s Spirit to lead us if we have a personal relationship with God through Christ. In John 16:7, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as our ‘paraclete,’ a Greek word meaning our Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Helper, Strengthener, and Supporter; the One who comes alongside of us and says, “go this way, go here.” Make the time to quiet yourself before God, ask him for guidance that is directed by the Holy Spirit, and He will lead you.

3. Godly Counsel

Once we have trained our mind in the Word of God and in the Spirit of God, the final step to make a good decision is to consult with wise and Godly people.

This could mean talking to a wise and trusted pastor, elder, or leader in the church. Or it could mean consulting a trusted friend whom you know to be a follower of Christ with your best interest at heart. If you are married, it is vital to consult with your spouse, asking them to pray with you and taking input from them. It is always wise to seek complete agreement between husband and wife before making any major decisions.

A beautiful illustration of this is found in Acts 15:28. A major decision had to be made by the apostles. They met together to talk and to pray about what to do. Finally, they came to a solid decision. It says “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” A decision was made that was in line with the Bible, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, and with the wisdom and counsel of fellow believers. This is the winning combination. If you need to make a decision and what you are considering is against any of these 3 indicators, please step back and wait for further guidance.

One of the greatest things about being a child of God is that He promises to lead us every step of the way. Being a student of God’s word, having our mind controlled by the Holy Spirit, and surrounding ourselves with Godly friends is the best way to make good decisions in life.