Seven Steps to a Good Decision
(Adapted from John D. Arnold & Bert Tompkins, How to Make the Right Decisions)
“Good” in the context of decision-making can have several meanings. What makes a decision “good”? “bad”?
Steps to making a Good Decision:
1. Clarify the Issues.
A. Ask: “Why do I have to/want to make a decision?”
B. A decision is necessary when:
(1) Something has happened that shouldn’t have & needs to be corrected.
(2) Something can happen that you don’t want to happen & needs to be prevented.
(3) Something you want to happen isn’t happening & needs to happen.
(4) Something is missing & needs to be provided.
C. Example: Nehemiah 1:1-11. Nehemiah decided to ask for a leave of absence from work when he determined that something needed to change in Jerusalem (elements of all 4 criteria above).
D. Two mistakes to avoid: (1) Being forced into a decision that doesn’t need to be made (or not made now).
(2) Failing to make a decision when one is clearly called for.
E. Application: Your teen-aged son/daughter tells you that one of his/her friends is having problems with their parents & is afraid to go home, & asks if the friend can stay at your house for a while. What factors do you need to consider in order to make a good decision?
2. State your Purpose for making a Decision.
A. Ask: “What is that I’m really trying to determine or accomplish?”
B. Example: Nehemiah 1. What was Nehemiah’s chief concern? Only to re-build the walls? To restore Jerusalem to its former glory? Or, to provide an environment that would encourage the spiritual revitalization of those living in Jerusalem?
C. Once the purpose was clear, Neh. could explore the options about the best way to accomplish his goal.
D. Application: You unexpectedly receive a job offer in another city. Should you take it? What factors would you need to consider in order to make a good decision?
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A. Ask: “What do I want to achieve, preserve, or avoid?” Answers to these questions become the criteria for making a valid decision.
B. Example: Acts 15:1-10. What needed to be achieved, preserved, &/or avoided?
C. Application: You have just moved to a new community & need to find a home church. What do you need/want to achieve, preserve, &/or avoid?
4. Establish Your Priorities.
A. Ask: “What conditions & personal goals must be met by my decision, & which ones are desirable but not mandatory?”
B. Application: You are trying to help your son/daughter decide on a college to attend. What are the absolute necessities in this decision, & what is important but not absolutely necessary?
5. Search for Alternatives.
A. Ask: “What alternatives might meet the standards I have established for my decision?”
B. Important: Let your criteria generate your alternatives, not the reverse!
C. Application: You’re wanting to buy a house. There are many alternatives, but it may be that only one or some of them meet your established criteria.
6. Test the Alternatives.
A. Ask: “Which alternatives best fit my priorities & criteria?”
B. Note the importance of adequate information vs. simply how you “feel about it.” Remember that sometimes our “hunches” about what is “God’s will” are allowed to replace valid information, the observance of established priorities, etc.
7. Troubleshoot Your Decision.
A. Ask: “Is there anything that is likely to go wrong?” (Note: Sometimes we don’t want to take this step, especially if we’ve already made a decision.)
B. There is always the possibility of things going wrong, but sometimes there is a high degree of possibility or even probability. Best to be prepared for it – or avoid it.
C. Application: You want to borrow a large sum of money. The payback is within your means. What might go wrong?
Throughout all of these phases of decision-making, we need to do what Nehemiah did: Pray, & then pray again at every step of the decision-making process!
–Tommy South