Aimee Joseph | Decision Making & God's Will -

167: Aimee Joseph | Decision Making & God's Will

Aimee Joseph | Decision Making & God's Will

Aimee Joseph is the author of Demystifying Decision-Making (Crossway, 2022) and has spent many years directing women’s discipleship and ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and in Campus Outreach San Diego.

She and her husband are currently in the process of planting Center City Church in their neighborhood.

You can read more of her writing at aimeejoseph.blog.

Aimee Joseph and Amber discuss what the Bible says about decision making, God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, discerning God’s will, and moving forward after having made a bad decision.

Decision Making & God’s Will Questions:

(7:00) We all make hundreds if not thousands of decisions a day. What took place in your life that peaked your interest in studying how we make decisions and what we see in the Bible regarding decision making?
(14:03) What are some things we need to remember about God’s sovereignty and His will?
(44:00)You talk about “gathering pieces” in preparation to make a decision, likening it to a puzzle. What do you mean by this?
(53:54) Let’s close with you speaking directly to the person who may be experiencing regret or doubt over a decision they’ve already made, how would you encourage them?

Quotes From Decision Making & God’s Will:

“When you think about the fall through the lens of decision making, the fall happened because of a catastrophic decision that was made. It was less about the fruit and more about our hearts. It was about are you going to submit to My authority and trust my nature?…Or are you going to fight for autonomy? Are you going to grab that authority from me?”

“So who’s really making a decision if God is sovereign, and he’s in control, and he orders all things? We know from the scriptures, not a sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge, the hairs on our head are numbered, he counts up our tears and keeps him in his bottle. He’s that kind of sovereign….And yet we are responsible.”

“When we have both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility it takes some of the the carelessness, or over carefulness, out of decision making. It helps us to go, Okay God, this is a gift that you’ve given us and I don’t understand the mystery of how I am actually making a decision, but you are still sovereign over it.”

“We want someone to say, here’s the 10 steps to how to discern God’s will. And God says, the whole point of you making decisions is for you to learn to depend on me, to cry out to me and to be intimate and proximate to me.”

“There’s this beautiful interchange that happens over decisions that I think God is jealous for. He says, I just want your attention. I want you to dig in My Word and search and pray and fast and ask friends because it makes you closer to me.”

“When the Scriptures are clear, the only decision to be made is whether I will obey or disobey. Now that being said, most of the decisions we make are in a whole different category. They’re what we call Christian liberty and wisdom. There’s not a right or wrong answer. It’s for you to wrestle before the Lord and say, in light of God’s principles, in light of who I am, in light of my circumstances, in light of who my family is, Lord, give me wisdom on what decision is best.”

“So we have, as the as the Bible says, everything that we need for life and for godliness in the scriptures. Now, does that mean the Scripture is going to decide for me where my child should go to college? No, but it’s going to give me all I need to be able to make that decision in a way that conforms me and him to the image of Christ.”

“We want clarity when it comes to decision making. We scream at God give me clarity, make it clear. And at the end of the day, God wants us to be people who walk by faith.”

Elisabeth Elliott quote: Do not dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.

“Just because it’s hard does not mean it’s not God’s will for you.”

“We’re going to learn from our consequences. But my identity is not determined by those consequences. My identity is determined by the choices and consequences of Christ. And that frees us to go I have so much to learn, but I’m secure. I’m secure if I make a mistake, because God is still with me and the God of the universe can direct and sovereignly use his providential hands to steer and to guide us.”

“There are seasons when God absolutely allows us to operate out of our gifts. There are also seasons where we operate out of weakness.”

“God cares far more about HOW we make our decisions sometimes than the decisions that we’re making.”

Scripture References

Resources Mentioned:

Book: Demystifying Decision Making by Aimee Joseph

Related Episodes:

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