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Life IS like a maze. Every which way we turn, we’re bumping into something else and we can can’t seem to find a solution. Okay…that’s not always the case – we make decisions all the time that are incredibly easy. But if you think back over the past few weeks…each of those seemingly small decisions we make can and DO make a huge impact on our (and those around us) lives. So yeah, if I think about it like that, we really are being forced to make decisions at every turn.
We’ve talked (well I’ve written) a lot about making wise decisions over the past few weeks. Today, we’ll look at how we’re wired (and then getting off our butt and doing something about it). The way we’re wired seems to have an impact on what we’re going to do as a result of what we hear. Considering my background in psychology (and our collective experience working with various types of people), we can all recognize the impact that our personalities play in our decision making skills. In particular, what we do as a result of hearing (notice I didn’t say listening) “wise” words. Consider the following types of people…do you see yourself in any of these descriptions?
The “Over-Thinker”: the over-thinker over-processes every single decision to the point of becoming paralyzed in their thoughts. They don’t know what to do with the information they’ve received so they don’t know how to make a decision…and therefore, they typically don’t do anything at all.
The “Impulsive Decision-Maker”: this person has the opposite problem of the over-thinker in that they can be rash, impulsive and make decisions too quickly. This person is of the belief that if a particular decision doesn’t work out, they’ll just make another decision. Unfortunately, when you make decisions this way, you aren’t taking the time or patience to really think through “what’s the wisest thing to do?”
The “Conflict-Avoider”: this person hates confrontation…including their own issues. It could be that they have issues with their career, marriage, finances, etc. but they won’t do anything different because the idea of confronting the issue terrifies them. So, rather than make a decision, they’ll avoid making any changes. A variation of this person is the “procrastinator,” who will delay making any decisions until the absolute last minute (which of course often creates conflict).
The “Happy Go Lucky”: actually, this is the person who doesn’t want to do anything different because it’ll mess up their routine. Perhaps they’ve convinced themselves that God wants them to be happy, so they don’t want to change anything because the “happiness” they currently know might disappear. These people are full of excuses, but are often better known as “fools.” Not to beat this person up because I’ve been there, but these types of people have a tendency to think that if they commit themselves to God, that they’ll have to adhere to a long list of boring rules – who wants to follow the rules when there’s a party?!
Little do they know that when we begin to trust and obey GOD, the happiness and joy will still be there…in fact, it’s way better. But, so many of us waste our lives seeking pleasure in a way that doesn’t please GOD, and it’s only caused us drama. Let me tell you, since closing the books on all of that chaos that I once thought was so fun (the partying, the gossip [okay, I still like a little gossip every now and then], etc), I don’t experience much drama in my life.
With that said, if you’re going to choose GOD, quit screwing around and follow him already! Or rather, if anything I’ve said in the past few weeks has been speaking to your heart, now is the time to do something about it.
So, regardless of how we’re wired…regardless of our past or current circumstances…how do we change so that we’re more like Jesus Christ?
If you’re an “Over-Thinker,” learn to trust. Remember that spirituality is a journey and that you’ve got to trust that God is going to handle the details. It’s not about the destination, but learning to walk in faith.
We’ve talked (well I’ve written) a lot about making wise decisions over the past few weeks. Today, we’ll look at how we’re wired (and then getting off our butt and doing something about it). The way we’re wired seems to have an impact on what we’re going to do as a result of what we hear. Considering my background in psychology (and our collective experience working with various types of people), we can all recognize the impact that our personalities play in our decision making skills. In particular, what we do as a result of hearing (notice I didn’t say listening) “wise” words. Consider the following types of people…do you see yourself in any of these descriptions?
The “Over-Thinker”: the over-thinker over-processes every single decision to the point of becoming paralyzed in their thoughts. They don’t know what to do with the information they’ve received so they don’t know how to make a decision…and therefore, they typically don’t do anything at all.
The “Impulsive Decision-Maker”: this person has the opposite problem of the over-thinker in that they can be rash, impulsive and make decisions too quickly. This person is of the belief that if a particular decision doesn’t work out, they’ll just make another decision. Unfortunately, when you make decisions this way, you aren’t taking the time or patience to really think through “what’s the wisest thing to do?”
The “Conflict-Avoider”: this person hates confrontation…including their own issues. It could be that they have issues with their career, marriage, finances, etc. but they won’t do anything different because the idea of confronting the issue terrifies them. So, rather than make a decision, they’ll avoid making any changes. A variation of this person is the “procrastinator,” who will delay making any decisions until the absolute last minute (which of course often creates conflict).
The “Happy Go Lucky”: actually, this is the person who doesn’t want to do anything different because it’ll mess up their routine. Perhaps they’ve convinced themselves that God wants them to be happy, so they don’t want to change anything because the “happiness” they currently know might disappear. These people are full of excuses, but are often better known as “fools.” Not to beat this person up because I’ve been there, but these types of people have a tendency to think that if they commit themselves to God, that they’ll have to adhere to a long list of boring rules – who wants to follow the rules when there’s a party?!
Little do they know that when we begin to trust and obey GOD, the happiness and joy will still be there…in fact, it’s way better. But, so many of us waste our lives seeking pleasure in a way that doesn’t please GOD, and it’s only caused us drama. Let me tell you, since closing the books on all of that chaos that I once thought was so fun (the partying, the gossip [okay, I still like a little gossip every now and then], etc), I don’t experience much drama in my life.
With that said, if you’re going to choose GOD, quit screwing around and follow him already! Or rather, if anything I’ve said in the past few weeks has been speaking to your heart, now is the time to do something about it.
So, regardless of how we’re wired…regardless of our past or current circumstances…how do we change so that we’re more like Jesus Christ?
If you’re an “Over-Thinker,” learn to trust. Remember that spirituality is a journey and that you’ve got to trust that God is going to handle the details. It’s not about the destination, but learning to walk in faith.
If you’re an “Impulsive Decision-Maker,” learn to be patient. Stop being so quick to make a decision and learn to wait. In fact, if you need a filter…ask yourself “is this the wisest thing to do,” before making any decisions. It’s kinda like my 24 hours shopping filter, “do I really need this?”
“Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25: 4-5
If you’re a “Conflict Avoider,” learn to stand up for yourself. Learn to draw some boundaries for yourself and don’t let anyone push you a direction you disagree with. Granted, I hate conflict as much as the next person (probably has a lot to do with why I hate talking on the phone), but there are certain things that I pay close attention to.
If you’re a “Procrastinator,” make a decision already. Just do it!
If you’re “Happy Go Lucky,” listen to your heart and learn to obey. Obedience to God is the highest form of worship. God knows us better than we know ourselves and until we allow him to lead, we’ll never know true happiness. Recognizing that I was once this person, I speak from experience…the grass really is greener on this side of the fence.
With all of that said, know this…until you’re ready to make a decision- GOD is going to stay out of your life and let you live it however you see fit. But, the moment you decide to have a more active relationship with him, he’s going to rock your world. So… what’s your next move?
Disclosure: the above message was adapted from my church’s sermon last weekend. To listen to the original message, click HERE.
