The Cost of One Bad Decision

One wrong decision can cost you ten years of wasted time and suffering.I have been in the ministry for over thirty years seeing people make disastrous decisions. Not only did they make terrible decisions, they rarely came to me, as their pastor, seeking counsel. Most of the time, people just told me what they were going to do. Then, when others asked them about their decisions, they would tell people they had talked to me about them. The worst was people that said God told them to do this or that. He didn’t.

You are living in a world of past decisions.  The better the decisions you make, the better your life. A decision means that you made your mind up on something that determined a course of action.

ONE BAD DECISION

After many years of watching the fruit of bad decisions, I have come to the conclusion that one wrong decision can cost you ten years of wasted time.

Let’s say that an eighteen-year-old named Johnny makes a terrible decision out of rebellion goes partying, meets a girl for a one night stand and gets the girl pregnant. The girl hates Johnny and refuses to allow him to be a father to the child. He is, however, responsible for paying child support.

Ten more years goes by suffering from the one night stand, Johnny is now twenty-eight.  At twenty-eight he makes another wrong decision and steals from his employer, gets caught, and convicted of a felony. He serves time in jail, gets out, but can’t find a decent paying job because of his criminal record. Another ten years of wasted time and suffering goes by, now he is thirty-eight.

At thirty-eight Johnny becomes unequally yoked with an unbelieving business partner and, yet again, suffers the fruit of disobeying God’s word, the company falls apart, and he files personal bankruptcy. Now Johnny is forty-eight years old.

Notice only three bad decisions wasted thirty years of Johnny’s life.

GETTING IT RIGHT

Let me help you think about the importance of getting decisions right. The definition of a decision is:

1. Making up your mind.

2. Taking a position.

3. Making a selection.

4. Selecting one option over another.

5. Determining to act a certain way.

6. Choosing a direction or path.

People go wrong because they don’t obey the written Word of God, seek God’s counselors, ask their parents, or successful people that have already been down that road.

Decisions determine destiny.

Decisions determine relationships.

Decisions determine finances.

As already said, you are the product of past decisions. Decisions determine the world you live in. 

SOUND COUNSEL

Here is some sound counsel that can help you.

• Don’t make decisions out of emotions such as anger, fear, rage, confusion, pain, revenge, or rebellion.
• When warfare comes against you, don’t break rank and backslide into your old familiar world. The tribe of Ephraim turned back in the day of battle because they didn’t believe God or trust in his salvation (Psalm 78:9-11). The Christian life is a life of faith. I have seen many destroy God’s plan for them by quitting on God and running back into their old lifestyles or the devil they are familiar with.
• Let the Word of God govern your life (Hebrews 4:12).
• Renew your mind with the Word (Romans 12:1-3)
• Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the ability to make right decisions, to know what to do, and to rightly discern times and seasons.
• Spend time alone with the Holy Spirit every morning in your secret place. The secret place is your private prayer closet. (It’s 2017. I challenge you to give God the first 17 minutes of devotion every day this year.) When you enter the presence of the Holy Spirit, you enter the presence of wisdom. Wisdom is the principle thing (Proverbs 4:7).
• Seek counsel from your pastor. Your pastor has an anointing (grace) from the Holy Spirit to help you. Don’t tell him what you are going to do and call that a counseling session. No, ask him for godly wisdom and counsel. Your pastor is not on the same level as your prayer partner, fishing buddy, or co-worker.
• Find counsel from successful Christian people. Successful people are achievers. Achievers have fought many lions, bears, and Goliaths.     
• Never leave a great church for a job, cheaper house, or better weather. Make sure you hear from the Holy Spirit and his counselors agree. Scripture says there is safety in a multitude of counselors (Proverbs 24:6).
• God can turn around your bad decisions if you will repent, submit, and surrender. 

James gave you valuable instruction. He said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Seek Christ’s counsel and obey his instruction. The instruction you obey determines the benefits you receive. 

Seek Christ’s counsel and obey his instruction.Let the Word of God govern your life. Don’t make decisions out of emotions such as anger, fear, rage, confusion, pain, revenge, or rebellion. Remember, one bad decision can cost you ten years of wasted time and suffering. Make sure you hear from the Holy Spirit and his counselors agree. Don’t forget, decisions determine destiny.

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Your partner,

© Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com