#6 — What Is the collective counsel of your community?

“Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Prov. 11:14)

Don’t be foolish by thinking you have all the answers on the matter

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Prov. 12:15 ESV)

“A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.” (Prov. 18:2)

Get advice and instruction from others who understand the matter

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” (Prov. 19:20 ESV)

#5 — How should past experiences inform your decision?

“Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Prov. 26:11)

What have you learned from past mistakes?

Look for patterns of behavior that could affect your decision making process.

“A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” (Prov. 17:10)

Reflect on early instruction you’ve received over your lifetime

“When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.” (Prov. 24:32)

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov. 22:6 ESV)

#4 — Examine the motives driving your decision

“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.” (Prov. 16:2)

Honestly assess your motives for making the decision, both good and bad

Acknowledge that you have “blind spots”, everyone does. Give others permission to speak into your life about your decision.

“Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?’” (Prov. 20:9

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3 ESV)

#3 — Don’t be fearfully pressured to make a premature decision

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col. 3:15 ESV)

Don’t let the fear of missing out drive your decision

Beware of the “once in a lifetime” deal and the lure of instant gratification. Many who have made important decisions too quickly have later said, “I knew I shouldn’t have made that decision, but I went against my gut feeling anyway!” Listen to your inner voice. Remember the age old advice, “When in doubt, don’t! And, the Bible instruction, “Let the peace of God rule” — If there is no peace about it, don’t do it!

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

Do not be anxious about your decision

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7ESV)

Slow down and wait

“…it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who makes haste with his feet errs.” (Prov. 19:2)

Be diligent!

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” (Prov. 21:5)

#2 — Ask many questions and listen carefully

“He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.” (Prov. 18:13)

Before making an important decision ask a lot of questions

Do you have all the facts for making the decision? Don’t fall prey to “wishful thinking” and don’t allow your emotions to get the best of you. Listen carefully and fully understand all sides of the situation before making the decision

Remember that there are two sides to every story

“The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” (Prov. 18:17)

#1 — Ask God for knowledge and understanding

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6)

Ask God to give you wisdom about it

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:7)

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jer. 33:3 ESV)

What does the Bible say about it?

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalms 119:105 ESV)

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

Can you do it to the glory of God?

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)

Will it cause you to be a partner with unrighteousness?

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14)

Will it put you in any kind of bondage?

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (Prov. 22:7)

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

A warning about forgiving others

“But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:15 ESV)

Forgive others as the Lord has forgiven you

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Col. 3:13 ESV)

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalms 103:10-14 ESV)

How often should you forgive a repeat offender?

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:21-22 ESV)

Therefore…

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles., The state of being whole and undivided. character, decency, goodness, honesty, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousness, rightness, uprightness, virtue, virtuousness.

Integrity guides the upright

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” (Prov. 11:3 ESV)

Show integrity

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity…” (Titus. 2:7 ESV)

Therefore…

“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” (Prov. 28:6 ESV)

“If you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much.” (Job 8:5-7 NLT)

“The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!” (Prov. 20:7 ESV)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15.5 ESV)

Fruit: The basic Greek word for fruit is karpos , used literally of fruit, offspring, and figuratively of the consequence of physical, mental, or spiritual action; karpophoreo [karpoforevw], means to bear fruit or crops, and figuratively, bear fruit in the heart (Luke 8:15); and akarpos , means fruitless, as of unproductive, unregenerate lives (Matt 13:22). - Bible Dictionary

Every true believer produces spiritual fruit

In Galatians, chapter five, Paul used “fruit” to help us understand the product of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every believer. The fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Spirit, not by the Christian.

You must be producing spiritual fruit

“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?” (Matt. 7:16 NASV)

Nine fruits of the Spirit are listed

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23 NIV)

1) Love (1 Cor. 13)

2) Joy (1 Pet. 1:8-9)

3) Peace (Rom. 5:1)

4) Patience (Eph. 4:2)

5) Kindness (Eph. 4:32)

6) Goodness (Gal. 6:10)

7) Faithfulness (Prov. 20:6)

8) Gentleness (Titus 3:2)

9) Self control (Prov. 25:38)

Therefore…

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4 ESV)