Choices in a Changing World

Making decisions is not my strong suit. When I took the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator, they told me that 'I was a strong P'. Later I learned that P's are people who are always looking for a little more information. P's believe that if they just had a bit more data, this decision they face would be easier. I am definitely a P.

A Biblical Character after My Own Heart

I'm thinking that Gideon was also a P. He's considering heading into war with the Midianites, but (surprise!) isn't just sure yet. He puts out a fleece and asks God to put dew on it if he is supposed to go forward with this plan. God soaks the fleece with dew, but (surprise!) even that's not enough information. In a passage that makes Gideon sound like Woody Allen, he says to God, "Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; let me, please, make trial with the fleece just once more...' (Judges 6)

In this story, Gideon asks for and gets absolute certainty from God for his decision. In my experience, that kind of clarity is a pretty rare occurrence. Most of the time we are left to, as the apostle Paul would say, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Decisions always involve a loss. To do one thing means not doing another---to live in Vermont means not living in Chicago; to work at this church means not working at that one. We are humans with limited time and energy who cannot do everything. Decisions mean saying no to some very good things.

Then there is the pressure we put on ourselves around our decisions. Someone said 'what we decide today, we are tomorrow'. Spend a little time with that thought and the pressure on today's decision starts to grow.

Add to this list the sheer number of choices we make in this changing world and a little fear and trembling in the face of too many decisions is understandable.

Discernment

Eight hundred years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola developed a decision making process called discernment. Discernment makes a rather enormous assumption right from the start. The assumption is that the decision-maker is honestly seeking God's leading in the decision. The first and most important question of a decision might be 'am I willing to invite God into this discussion?'

Ignatius talked about using our heads and hearts, our intellect and affect. First think through a decision, examining options, looking at pros and cons. In fact, go ahead and make the decision; just don't act on it yet. This is really just the start of discernment.

Now begin listening to your affect or emotions. He called this process 'echoing down'. As you make the decision, let it sink deeply into you. Through prayer, reflection, contemplation, and talking with friends listen for the echo the decision makes. Are the feelings more negative (desolation) or positive (consolation)? Flora Wuellner's prayer expresses it well:

The fruit of seeking Christ is ultimately peace---if it is a faithful decision, peace should eventually come. If what we experience is increasing anxiety, restlessness, fear and disharmony, the decision may need to be re-examined.

The Movement of Grace

What you are thinking is that all this sounds like it takes time. It does take time to hear true echoes. It takes time to pray. Listening cannot be rushed. It is no accident the phrase 'wait for the Lord' is scattered throughout the pages of the Bible.

But the last word is that of redemption. That even bad decisions can yield good fruit. Robert McAfee Brown writes, "We must live with the possibility that decisions made in good faith will turn out to be disasters. If so then the movement of grace will consist in providing enough power to turn even a disaster toward good and useful ends."

Gideon and I are grateful for that grace.

Group Questions:

• How do you make decisions?

• What is a difficult decision you have made in your life?

• What decisions do you have coming up?

Doug Wysockey-Johnson is pastor of Jericho Covenant Church near Burlington VT.