CHRISTIAN REALITY LIFE

What is Christian living?

• The articles in this “Christian Living” section will help you find and understand the biblical principles for dealing with the challenges of life. They will help you build strong, supportive, loving relationships. They will help you grow in knowledge of God’s way and in acting on that knowledge. God’s way is the way of love. It’s the way of peace.

What does it mean to be a real Christian?

• Being real is more than regularly attending church, feeling good about God, or “accepting” Jesus as your Savior; it goes beyond being baptized, receiving Communion, reciting the creed, or joining in church membership. As important as these things are, being real runs deeper than these things. Real Christians are new creatures.

The Christian way of life is the best way of life possible! Jesus said He came so His followers “may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 ). God’s way of living has great benefits for this life and offers “pleasures forevermore” in the next (1 Timothy 4:8; Psalm 16:11 ).

That doesn’t mean that Christian living is easy. The challenges and difficulties of this way of life are designed to help us grow to have Jesus Christ’s mind and the character of God. We are to learn to think and act like God because He wants us to be His children forever!

Christian living principles

God gave us the Bible to teach us the best way to live and to give us examples of others to learn from. The good and bad examples in the Bible can make what may seem to be abstract principles come to life.

The articles in this “Christian Living” section will help you find and understand the biblical principles for dealing with the challenges of life. They will help you build strong, supportive, loving relationships. They will help you grow in knowledge of God’s way and in acting on that knowledge.

God’s way is the way of love. It’s the way of peace. Biblical principles will help us at home, at school, on the job, in our time management and decision-making, in controlling our emotions, and in growing in spiritual maturity. By practicing Christian living, we will demonstrate the values that Christ has and the love He shows.

Start now

This section is a work in progress, so we encourage you to come back often as we add new articles about Christian living. Please let us know if you have suggestions for future articles, and let us know any questions you would like answered.

As a start, we encourage you to read “The Way of Peace” now. It’s a way that this world hasn’t known (Romans 3:17 Romans 3:17), but that God reveals throughout the Bible. It’s the way our loving God wants—and commands—us to live. The benefits are priceless.

The Way of Peace

by Mike Bennett

Humans have yearned for and struggled for peace, but still, it has eluded us. What does the Bible reveal about the way of peace, and how can we live that way?

History is the story of human conflict, violence, and war. Even times of relative peace seem in the long run to have been nothing more than the preparation period for the next war.

The Bible tells us humanity does not know the way to peace, but God is willing to teach it to us.

But it’s not that the human heart doesn’t long for peace or that many individuals haven’t devoted themselves to trying to mediate conflicts and promote peace. Those who work ceaselessly for peace are to be applauded. But their efforts are too often in vain.

The Bible accurately describes the human condition in Romans 3:17: “The way of peace they have not known.”

The Bible explains how our first parents rejected God’s peaceful way and were deceived into accepting the deadly, destructive way foisted on humanity by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. And ever since, violence and war have been the result of this wrong, selfish way of thinking.

The Bible tells us that Satan, humanity’s greatest adversary, currently rules this world, and broadcasts his attitudes of hate and violence into the minds of men (Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9). His influence helps amplify our natural selfishness to a fevered pitch as described by James:

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (James 4:1).

Called to be peacemakers

But Jesus Christ desires the opposite attitude for His followers: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

God has lived the way of peace for eternity, and He wants His children to learn that way to enjoy its benefits and to become like Him.

What do we need to learn to have peace?

1. Obey God’s law of love.

“Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165).

God’s law is the basis of all right relationships—showing us how to love God and love our fellow humans (Matthew 22:37-40). Being a peacemaker requires not just thinking, but acting. The letter and spirit of God’s law show us how to act in a way that produces peace (Matthew 5:21-26, 38-48).

Paul described some of the elements of this way of peace in his letter to the Romans:

“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.

“Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:16-21).

Striving to live in harmony, not allowing pride to stir up conflicts, taking revenge on God, and serving our enemies—these are challenging assignments, but they are essential to the way of peace.

Many other biblical passages detail the attitude and approach of the peacemaker.

2. Grow in godly wisdom.

As we saw in James 4, wars come from our selfish desires. Just before that, James gave more information about the way of peace.

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18).

James used eight Greek words here to describe the wisdom that comes from above, and they each counteract the type of worldly wisdom that is “full of bitter envy and self-seeking” (verse 14) that leads to confusion, fights, and war. Let’s focus on the Greek word eirenikos, the second word in the list, the one translated as “peaceable.” Its root word, when it is used for men, basically means right relationships between man and man, and between man and God.

What does James mean by: “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace”? William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible commentary says:

“Let us remember that peace, Eirene, means right relationships between man and man. So, then, what James is saying is this, ‘We are all trying to reap the harvest which a good life brings. But the seeds which bring the rich harvest can never flourish in any atmosphere other than one of the right relationships between man and man. And the only people who can sow these seeds and reap the reward are those whose life work it has been to produce such right relationships.’ That is to say, nothing good can ever grow in an atmosphere where men are at variance with one another. A group where there is bitterness and strife is a barren soil in which the seeds of righteousness can never grow and out of which no reward can ever come.”

3. Grow in godly love.

Paul also gave a prescription for peace in 1 Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter.

All 15 of the elements of love described in verses 4-7 are worthy of intense study. But let’s focus on two of them. In Dr. Barclay’s translation of verse 5, he says love “does not behave gracelessly; it does not insist on its rights; it never flies into a temper; it does not store up the memory of any wrong it has received.”

Here’s what he says about “love never flies into a temper” (“is not provoked” in the New King James Version): “The real meaning of this is that Christian love never becomes exasperated with people. Exasperation is always a sign of defeat. When we lose our tempers, we lose everything. Kipling said that it was the test of a man if he could keep his head when everyone else was losing him and blaming it on him, and if when he was hated he did not give way to hating. The man who is master of his temper can be master of anything.”

Dr. Barclay also writes, “Love does not store up the memory of any wrong it has received. The word translated store up (logizeshthai) is an accountant’s word. It is the word used for entering an item in a ledger so that it will not be forgotten. That is precisely what so many people do. One of the great arts in life is to learn what to forget. … Many people nurse their wrath to keep it warm; they brood over their wrongs until it is impossible to forget them. Christian love has learned the great lesson of forgetting.”

What if Christ asked us to stand between the warring factions in areas like the Holy Land, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, or South Sudan? We need to understand these biblical principles so we can help others learn to calm their anger and put away their generations-long cycle of revenge. If we learn these lessons of love, of controlling our tempers and fighting the desire for revenge, we will be able to practice and later teach these essential components of the way of peace.

Anger and revenge lie behind so many of the fights and wars going on in the world today. What if Christ asked us to stand between the warring factions in areas like the Holy Land, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, or South Sudan? We need to understand these biblical principles so we can help others learn to calm their anger and put away their generations-long cycle of revenge.

4. Seek the mind of Christ.

Consider Paul’s human relations advice in Philippians 2:3-5: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

To “esteem others” means to use a thorough analysis to see the value of other people’s strengths and to recognize their challenges and needs.

Verse 4 talks about this outward focus. As writer Stephen Covey put it, we should seek first to understand others, then to be understood.

Then verse 5 explains we need the mind of Christ—to copy His willingness to sacrifice and to serve humbly. This takes the Holy Spirit—being spiritually minded, as Paul put it in Romans 8:6.

Conflict resolution case studies

The way of peace, coupled with the justice and mercy of God’s government in the coming Kingdom of God, will provide effective conflict resolution on the personal and national levels. Ultimately, every conflict can have a solution that will benefit all parties for eternity.

We can learn from those who have met the challenge of reaching workable solutions in conflict resolution. What are some examples of peacemaking in the Bible?

Think about when Abraham and Lot had become prosperous, and their herds began competing for grazing land. There was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham and the herdsmen of Lot. So Abraham gave Lot the first choice of the land! That sounds like an inequitable solution, but God made it work out for the good of Abraham as well because of his desire for peace and his generosity. (That’s in Genesis 13:1-17.)

For further Bible studies on the subject of making peace, read the following passages and consider what the main character did to make peace and why it worked: Genesis 26:12-33; 1 Samuel 25:7-35; 2 Samuel 3:6–5:5; 2 Kings 1:13-15; Daniel 1:8-16; and Luke 9:51-56.

Dealing with “no small dissension”

One of the most interesting examples in the New Testament Church was at the Jerusalem conference in Acts 15. Though verse 2 says there had been “no small dissension” and verse 7 shows the conference began with “much dispute,” they came to a peaceful resolution. Verse 22 says, “Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church” to announce the decision they reached.

Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible has this note on Acts 15:22:

“It is interesting to note the process the council followed in resolving this conflict. First, the problem was clearly stated: Each side was presented in a debate. Second, the facts were presented by those who were acquainted with them. Third, the counsel was given by a person who was trusted for his objectivity and wisdom. Fourth, unanimity was sought in the decision. Fifth, the attitude of preserving the unity of the Spirit remained utmost on the council’s mind. This same formula would be helpful in resolving conflicts … today.”

Your next steps on the way to peace

A world without war will be incredibly better than today’s world. But a world with true peace—resulting from our following God’s way of peace now and being prepared to teach it after Christ’s second coming—that world will be fantastic almost beyond human imagination!

We encourage you to read more about God’s way of life that brings peace in the sections on “The 10 Commandments” and “Christian Conversion.” It’s a way of life that is simple (not complex) but hard (not easy). Yet it is the way that works—that brings many wonderful benefits. And it’s the only way to achieve real, lasting peace!

Christian Time Management

by Mike Bennett

Time management is a booming business—everyone wants to get more done and control time wasters. But for Christians, the need to manage time is even more urgent.

Time management experts and philosophers are fond of reminding us that our time is our life. Whatever controls our time, controls our life.

Most of us deal with some of these feelings at times:

• “I can’t get everything done!”
• “I am a slave to the clock—I can’t even take a breather!”
• “I am busy all the time, but I never feel like I’m getting the important things done!”
• “With so many pressing priorities, it can be hard to know what to do next.”
• “When I take a day off, time just seems to slip away and I feel like it was a wasted day.”

We face different time challenges, but generally, we have the same desire: To make the best use of our time to accomplish the things we feel are truly important. We want to make good decisions in order to be truly successful.

The thing that makes Christian time management different is the source of what we consider important. That source is God. So a good starting place is to consider how God looks at time and what He wants us to learn from time management.

God and time

God inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15). Since He created time, the mind-boggling truth is that He was around forever before time even existed!

To try to help us get a little of God’s perspective, the Bible says, “With the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). God is unrestricted by time.

But though God is not controlled by time the way we humans are, He still puts great emphasis on it. He is always punctual—He always acts at the right time (even though to us humans it may seem like we have to wait a long time). He also has set aside certain times that He has blessed—for our benefit. These are designed to teach us important lessons and to reveal His plan to us.

God tells us the Sabbath and His seven annual festivals are set apart and are His feasts (Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:2-4; for more about these meaningful holy times, download our free booklets The Sabbath: A Neglected Gift From God and From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You).

God created time as a tool. We were put in this universe of time to learn many lessons and to develop the character of God. Christian time management means learning to use time as God wants us to use it.

Christian time management tips

God wants us to become His children—to be like Him (Hebrews 2:10; 1 John 3:1-3)

To become more like God, we need to learn to have His priorities. We need to learn to use those priorities to produce a plan for improving our lives and aligning them with God’s plan. And we need to put those plans into action. God’s priorities and plans always produce results, and so can ours.

Time management tip #1: Priorities

God reveals to us what is truly most important in life. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

To become more like God, we need to learn to have His priorities. We need to learn to use those priorities to produce a plan for improving our lives and aligning them with God’s plan. And we need to put those plans into action. God’s priorities and plans always produce results, and so can ours. The Kingdom of God is the perfect government of God that will bring peace and plenty to this earth when Jesus Christ returns. We must be preparing for that time now.

Seeking God’s righteousness means striving to live the right way—obeying God’s beneficial laws that are based on God’s love. (Study more about these priorities in our article “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God.”)

The end of Matthew 6:33 reveals an amazing thing about God’s priorities. If we put what God says is important first, the other things we need and want will be added to us as well!

But if we put money and things as equal to or higher priority than God’s Kingdom, in the long run, we will have neither.

We can’t take charge of our time without clearly defining our priorities. We must schedule what matters most first, or it will be pushed out by the hundreds of urgent and persistent things that come at us each week.

“To master time management is to set priorities among your goals. There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do what is important,” says leadership expert Lolly Daskal (“Master Time Management From Inside Out”).

Our priorities become more real when we write them down as goals and rank them in order of importance. But goals can be just so much “someday I’ll” thinking unless we take the next step. We need a plan to get from “Someday Isle” to success.

Time management tip #2: Planning

The Bible reveals a God who is a Planner. And He wants us to be planners too. We need long-range plans, annual plans, and daily plans—and probably several plans in between.

Why plan? Lolly Daskal explains that planning our time “is not about filling every moment with busy work, but rather organizing our time around what is important. … Planning for how to spend your time enables you to work far more efficiently than figuring it out as you go. What is planned happens, because planning leads to action.”

Daily schedule planning

Let’s look at planning at its most immediate level. Based on God’s priorities, what does He want us to put into our schedule for each day?

• Plan time for God. This includes time for praying to God (study Psalm 55:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and our article “How to Pray”). He also wants us to study His Bible daily, as the Bereans did (see Acts 17:11 and our article “How to Study the Bible”).
• Plan time for family and friends. Relationships take a commitment of time together. For example, God commands parents to spend time teaching their children (Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:7).
• Plan time for work. The Fourth Commandment tells us that work should take place during the first six days of the week so that we will be ready to obey the command to not work on the seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11).
• Plan time for health: eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep and exercise.
• Plan time for household chores and maintenance. (Don’t be like the guy in Proverbs 24:30-34!)
• Plan time for learning. The Bible extols the importance of continued lifelong learning: “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” (Proverbs 1:5).
• Plan time for rest and recreation. Jesus took His disciples away from the crowds at times to try to reduce the stress and be rejuvenated (Mark 6:31).

Considering these priorities can help us adjust our daily routines. Things that we do daily at certain times can become habits, and thus easier to do consistently. Having these top priorities recorded in our daily schedule will make our weekly and daily planning easier.

Then specific things that need to be done can be plugged into our calendar for specific days. Many people find it helpful to plan out the week ahead. Then the next week they can assess anything that still needs to be done, and reschedule those things for the week ahead.

Whether you use a physical calendar and daily schedule template, or an online calendar program, it’s important to prioritize the most important as well as the most urgent things. Many people find they cannot get everything they need and want to do done in a day, but planning by priority can help us feel satisfied that we are doing things in the right order.

The best priorities and plans in the world, though, are worthless if they aren’t put into practice.

Time management tip #3: Perform with urgency and diligence

Implementing our planned schedule requires constant motivation, focus, and persistence. To choose the truly important, we must wisely act, not just react to the urgent things that come at us.

God gives us a number of reminders and prods to help us see the urgency of practicing our priorities and plans.

He tells us to count our days—to recognize how short life is and how precious every day is. That should lead us to make full use of our time. The apostle Paul encouraged us to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16; see our Daily Bible Verse Blog post “Redeeming the Time”).

God wants us to recognize that every minute counts and should be used in a godly way. God is diligent, and He wants us to learn diligence (see “Diligence: Why Does God Prize It?”) and avoid laziness (Proverbs 12:24, 27; 13:4).

He even wants us to use our leisure time wisely. (For more specific ideas on avoiding pitfalls and properly using leisure time, see our article “What Do You Do With All Your Time?”)

What does the Bible say about time wasting?

God is not against recreation, relaxation and pleasurable activities at the right time and in the right balance. But He warns against the dangers of letting these things crowd out the top priorities. Here are some passages about letting the pursuit of pleasure and ease control our lives:

• “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich” (Proverbs 21:17).
• “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!” (Proverbs 28:19).
• “The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4).
• “The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4).
• “I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure’; but surely, this also was vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:1).

Time management tip #4: Act now!

Don’t just read this article, perhaps agree with parts of it, and then do nothing! Begin planning time in your schedule this week to examine your priorities and to begin to make a plan to align your time management with God’s priorities.

A good place to start is to learn more about the most important priority. Read “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God” today.

More Bible verses on time management

For an additional Bible study on time, read and think about how to apply these passages:

• “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
• “To everything, there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted . . .
• “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 11; see also the verses in between).
• “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
• “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
• “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5).
• “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15).
• “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Peter 1:17; see also 4:1-3).

Christian Decision-Making: 7 Steps for Making Wise Decisions

by Mike Bennett

We are shaped by our choices, and some have life-or-death consequences. This Christian decision-making process can help us make wise decisions.

7 steps for Christian decision-making

1. Direction from God.
2. Define the problem or opportunity.
3. Dig out the relevant information.
4. Determine the alternatives.
5. Deliberate.
6. Decide.
7. Do.

Making wise decisions

Decisions come in all shapes and sizes.

Every day we face decisions about what to eat, whether to exercise, how to use our time. Over the years these regular decisions generally become habits, and we don’t think much about them. If we have guided these small decisions well from the start, we don’t really have to worry about them.

When we haven’t been making wise decisions, however, even these seemingly small choices can blossom into serious bad habits like procrastination or an unhealthy lifestyle.

We also fairly regularly run into larger decisions that may have even bigger immediate and long-term consequences. What will we study? Where will we live? Who will we marry? What church will we go to?

Then there are the moral choices we are faced with. Will we cheat on our taxes? Will we turn down the drugs we are offered? Will we allow ourselves to be pulled in by the soft porn we stumble across?

 How will we deal with the issues that involve ethical decision-making?

Steps for making good decisions

Whatever type of decision we face, there are biblical principles that can help us make better decisions.

For example, when a Christian recognizes a bad habit or faces a moral choice, he or she can apply God’s command to always choose His way:

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

The steps below can help with these decisions, and also with so many other decisions that don’t have an easy, right-or-wrong answer.

So, where does the Christian decision-making process start?

1. Direction from God.

As Christians, our overall direction in life is determined by our commitment to God, and we must remember to ask Him to direct our lives.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

How does God direct us? Through the wisdom, He gives us in the Bible and through wise biblical counsel from His servants.

All of our decisions are to be in harmony with God’s laws and His plan (these major subjects are discussed in more detail in our free booklets God’s 10 Commandments and From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You).

We should pray for God’s guidance and study the Bible to see what it says about the decision we are facing. Many helpful principles are presented in the book of Proverbs, for example; it’s a book designed to teach us prudence and understanding and the wisdom to make good decisions (Proverbs 1:1-4). It all starts with understanding how much greater God is than we are. This reverence for God is known as the fear of the LORD (verse 7).

As we study the Bible, we should act on what we learn. We should discard any choices that we discover would compromise with God’s laws.

Sometimes it is a simple matter to know what decision to make—simply because only one choice would allow us to obey God.

But most of our decisions are not that clear-cut. Sometimes there are several good choices, and sometimes none of the choices are morally wrong. The following biblical decision-making steps can help us make wise decisions in these cases.

2. Define the problem or opportunity.

When our problem seems fuzzy, it can be very difficult to come up with a solid solution. Sometimes it can be helpful to look at the problem from many angles in order to clearly define it.

What caused the problem to erupt at this time and in this way? Who is affected by it? If other people are involved in causing the problem, why? What do they get out of it?

If your decision is an opportunity, what exactly do you get by choosing it? What do you lose if you don’t choose it?

3. Dig out the relevant information.

We have already discussed looking for the related passages in the Bible. We also need to search out the pertinent facts about the specific problem or opportunity.

Many search tools are available in our information age, and it can be helpful to explore everything from the library to the Internet. Look for reputable sources with relevant expertise. Be sure to put all the information you gather through the filters of fact-checking and biblical truth.

Art Markman, in his book Smart Thinking, writes, “It is important to know what you know and to know what you don’t know. As it turns out, it is also important to know who knows what you don’t know” (2012, p. 103).

The Bible advises, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Different people will likely have different information and different perspectives that can give you a broader understanding of the situation.

To learn more about how to seek wise counsel when facing decisions, read our blog post “In a Multitude of Counselors There Is Safety.”

With all the facts in hand, you can begin brainstorming various options that could solve the problem or best deal with the opportunity. As Dr. Markman also writes, “It is not always easy to see the hidden assumptions that you are making when solving difficult problems. For this reason, it is helpful to engage other people to help you during problem solving … to help you evaluate it” (p. 201).

4. Determine the alternatives.

With all the facts in hand, you can begin brainstorming various options that could solve the problem or best deal with the opportunity.

Combining and concentrating on all the information gained from the previous steps should give us several possible choices.

Depending on the situation, it can be valuable to explore some outside-the-box solutions. This is especially true when none of the obvious options seem that good. Throwing around creative ideas and trying to see possible connections to seemingly unrelated fields can help you generate additional options.

How long should we spend on this step? That depends on our deadline and on understanding our own personality.

Some of us might be tempted to cut short this stage in the interest of reaching closure as soon as possible. This can be a problem if we don’t have enough options to pick a good one.

Others might be tempted to continue in this stage for too long, out of fear that the perfect solution will be missed. This, too, can be a problem if we put off a decision too long and perhaps miss the deadline.

At some point, we have to decide we have enough options and move on to step 5 in the decision-making process.

5. Deliberate.

Weigh the options, including the option of doing nothing. One often-overlooked factor to weigh is how much each option will help you grow in knowledge, skill, or character. Make lists of pros and cons for each option. Weed out the worst ideas and carefully examine the best ones.

This is a principle that Jesus Christ advised His followers to apply:

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it” (Luke 14:28). Whether deciding to commit our lives to God in baptism or to remodel our kitchen, we need to count the cost and weigh the options.

Wise King Solomon also pointed out the importance of looking ahead to foresee the possible results of our decisions: “A prudent man foresees evil and hides, but the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3).

This process of deliberating the pros and cons, counting costs, and foreseeing future dangers and opportunities should prepare us for the next step in the Christian decision-making process.

6. Decide.

With all the research and preparation, this part should be easier. Another prayer for guidance and additional consultation with advisers can give us the confidence to make wise decisions.

When facing hard decisions between two options that seem equally good, here are some additional factors to consider:

• Trust your gut. If you pick the option you feel best about, you are less likely to second guess yourself. If your gut doesn’t give you the answer, then:
• Trust your closest adviser/cheerleader. He or she will be there to support the choice you made. If your closest adviser is also unsure, then:
• Choose the option that leaves you the most options. If you’re not sure, don’t burn bridges. Though it’s good to be committed to your decision so you don’t sabotage yourself, there will be times when it’s okay to reexamine your decision and change course.

7. Do.

Take action. Don’t dillydally, but implement your decision decisively.

If we have followed these steps carefully and put the decision into practice diligently, we will likely be happy with the results.

God gives this encouragement to those who seek His will and follow His way: “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

When we make a decision to follow God’s way and His law, we don’t have to look back.

But with a physical decision that isn’t a matter of right and wrong, it is not bad to reassess the choice when necessary and adjust course.

Doing so can be a wise decision too.

Examples of decision-making in the Bible

There are many examples of people making wise or foolish decisions in the Bible. Here are a select few that can inspire us to make wise decisions today.

Joshua’s farewell address highlights an important decision he had made and wanted his fellow Israelites to make:

“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14-15, emphasis added).

Solomon made both wise and foolish decisions in his own life, and the wisdom God inspired him to record in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes makes a helpful decision-making Bible study. For example, he wrote:

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26).

Solomon started out well, humbly asking God for wisdom, which God gave him (1 Kings 3:11-12). But later Solomon ignored God’s commands (Deuteronomy 17:17) and his own advice and loved many women who worshipped pagan gods, and they pulled him away from God (1 Kings 11:4).

Prophecies of the Messiah also point to the importance of decision-making guided by God.

“The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

“His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears, but with righteousness, He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isaiah 11:2-4).

Jesus Christ also used examples of wise decision-making in His parables. He praised the “wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). This shows the importance of a firm foundation in construction—and in our Christian lives.

In the parable of the 10 virgins, Jesus also praised the wise young women who planned ahead and took extra oil along so they could refill their lamps (Matthew 25:4). They didn’t run out like the foolish ones who hadn’t prepared for the long night.

Christians must be prepared for whatever might come in their physical lives—and especially in their spiritual lives.

More Bible verses for guidance in decision-making

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).

“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

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

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).

“By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10).

“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Proverbs 18:13).

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).

“If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success” (Ecclesiastes 10:10).

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

“Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

More resources

For related reading about how Christian decision-making changes our lives, see “Choose Life! Your Most Important Decision,” “Christian Time Management” and “How to Be Successful.”

For more about gaining the godly wisdom necessary for good decision-making, see our article on the book “How to Be Wise.”

From Failure to Success

by Larry Lambert

When we feel discouraged, we can ask God to help us turn things around. The Bible reveals the causes of spiritual failure and spiritual success.

I remember it like it was yesterday—the thrill I felt when, at 5 years old, I could finally run faster than my older sister. She was four years older than I was, and for the first time, I could do something better than she could.

After always feeling unsuccessful, success felt wonderful!

We all want to be successful

Everyone has an inner desire to succeed. This desire can be strong, and at times we can become very competitive. We want to run faster, jump higher and endure longer.

Our goals change as we grow older and we strive to succeed in other areas of life. Some seek success in professions such as health care or business. Some become pilots or astronauts. Others become musicians or authors. But no matter what path we take in life, we all have one common factor—we all want to succeed.

But there is another common factor. No matter how successful we are, sometimes we feel like a failure! Why is that? Are there changes we can make to reduce or eliminate this feeling of failure? Actually, there are changes we can make that will set us on the course for success.

While physical success in life is important, true happiness can only be achieved through spiritual success. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father is a spiritual relationship, and this is the most important area where we must succeed. This website is dedicated to helping people grasp spiritual concepts that touch their lives. Spiritual success is a concept that is extremely important.

God wants us to be successful

Our Creator does not want us to fail or to feel like a failure. He created us with a definite purpose in mind. You can read more about the meaning of our lives in the article “Purpose of Life.”

God provides us with Bible stories to help us learn how to succeed. The children of Israel provide us with many examples of how to succeed (or fail) in fulfilling God’s purpose for us. Their examples can be very enlightening as to why we sometimes feel like a failure. Time after time they rebelled against God and worshipped false gods. Many times they turned away from the way of life God outlined for them.

God is merciful and longsuffering, and He exhorted and encouraged His people to turn back to Him. During the reign of King Zedekiah God allowed Judah to be taken captive into Babylon for 70 years. But after that time He promised to bring them back to their homeland. To encourage them in their captivity, God inspired His prophet Jeremiah to tell them:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God wants us to have hope, to have a future—a successful future.

So what are some things we can do to avoid the emotional anguish of feeling like a failure? Our Creator gives us solid advice on how to accomplish this.

In referring to His inspired words in the Bible, God says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8, emphasis added throughout).

God says we should diligently study His words and spend time thinking deeply about them. If we do this, we will do a much better job living our lives according to His instruction and His way of life. In so doing, God says we will have good success. God says we should diligently study His words and spend time thinking deeply about them. If we do this, we will do a much better job living our lives according to His instruction and His way of life. In so doing, God says we will have good success.

Look only to God for guidance

Doesn’t it seem completely logical that a created being would look to its Creator for guidance? Yet we as humans often fail to make this logical connection. Often we look elsewhere. Often we look to our society and its standards for guidance. However, there is an evil ruler behind our society, Satan (John 14:30). When we unwittingly follow him, we will feel like a failure because, in fact, we are failing.

God tells us that if we will always look to Him for our standards to live by, we will experience blessings in this life and hope for even greater ones in the life to come. Notice what He inspired to be written about King Uzziah: “He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chronicles 26:5).

Easier said…

So we must obey God and seek to do His will in order to succeed. But there is a common saying that rings true in this case. The saying is, “It is easier said than done.” We know we should be looking to our Creator for guidance; we should look to Him for standards to live by. He created us and His inspired words are our “user manual” that we must live by. We know this, but we sometimes find it difficult to live by.

The apostle Paul experienced this same frustration in his life. He had a strong desire to obey only God. However, he shared with us in the book of Romans that he, too, sometimes did things according to our society’s standards—according to Satan’s standards.

When Paul slipped up, he, too, felt like a failure. We can find his lament recorded in the Bible for our benefit. Paul said, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:19).

He continued by describing how he felt like a failure. He said, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).

We all can relate to Paul’s feelings of failure. For we, too, walk down this path from time to time.

But Paul did not throw up his hands in defeat. He purposely asked the question, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” so that he could accurately answer it for us.

“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). Paul recognized the absolute necessity to look to God our Father and Jesus Christ for direction in our life—based upon God’s truth. Satan has done such a thorough job of deceiving all of mankind (Revelation 12:9) that many have lost sight of God’s truth.

Turn from the traditions of men to the commandments of God

Jesus Christ said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). God’s truth comes from God and His Holy Bible. It does not come from the traditions of men. Many people observe pagan traditions of men and justify them as being acceptable to God. But this behavior will always lead to a feeling of failure.

Notice how Jesus described this mentality: “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:3, 6-9).

If you would like to learn more about some of the traditions of men and their origin, be sure to read our article “Holy Days vs. Holidays.”

Action steps

So would you like to make some changes in your life to overcome feelings of failure? If you are serious, God has a plan for you that will work. But it will require effort on your part. You will need to:

• Study the Bible daily. (Be sure to couple this with prayer and occasional fasting.)
• Meditate on what God tells you (not what our society tells you).
• Remember, your worship of God must be based on His truth (the Bible).
• Turn away from the traditions of men. Turn instead to the holy commandments of God.

Our booklet Change Your Life! offers you some valuable guidance on the passages in God’s Word that will assist you in making these changes. You will notice the difference. And, just as I did as a small boy, you will remember the feelings of success.

Remember, Satan’s standards are a road map to failure. God’s standards are a road map to success!

For more, read the other articles in this section: “Christian Living: Living the Way Jesus Wants.”

Christian Values

by Ron Kelley

The Bible presents foundational values that are perfect and beneficial—yet most reject them today. These core Christian values can—and will—change the world.

Today our world is filled with conflict, division, and war. Mankind seems to be hopelessly divided among nations, cultures, religions—and their underlying values. Peace and reconciliation do not appear to be attainable. Perhaps the best we can hope for is the maintenance of the status quo. Meanwhile, we hope that an outbreak of violence does not reach where we live.

Societies and people see the world through their own sets of values and perspectives, so it seems there are countless irreconcilably different value systems.

All we have to do is look at the continuing conflicts in the Middle East and other areas of the world. We have Sunni vs. Shiite, Muslim vs. Christian, Buddhist vs. Hindu, and many other ongoing conflicts of values. So we have a problem.

What is the solution?

If conflicting values are a problem, then the acceptance of the same—the right—values can be an important part of the solution. However, in this world, it is not up to us as individuals to determine or enforce the proper standards or values. That role is filled by our Creator.

But if we believe in Jesus Christ, shouldn’t we be asking what His standard of conduct is for us? It becomes our responsibility to find out what the core Christian values are from the only source of information God has provided—the Bible. Those who don’t believe in a Creator often end up setting their own values. Their motives might be good, and some of their values might be positive. But God makes it clear that those who reject any of His values and commandments have a fatal flaw in their thinking (Matthew 5:19; 15:9). In the end, the result of conflicting and wrong values is chaos, confusion, hatred, and violence. Many are choosing that path now, showing little regard for the values of others—or the values of God.

But if we believe in Jesus Christ, shouldn’t we be asking what His standard of conduct is for us? It becomes our responsibility to find out what the core Christian values are from the only source of information God has provided—the Bible. For further study on how God’s values will bring peace to our divided world, see the article “Culture Wars.”

What are some of the core Christian values?

The word Christian is supposed to mean one who is following the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ. We are told that we are to follow His example and walk in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). His values, therefore, are to become our values. Those who agree will share common values.

While the Bible does not specifically give a list of “Christian values,” let’s notice some of the many important values taught in the Bible:

• Keep God’s 10 Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:29; Ecclesiastes 12:13; 1 John 2:3-4). We are to love God with all our hearts (Matthew 22:37) and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:9).
• Have faith and trust in God (Psalm 37:3; Mark 11:22; 2 Corinthians 3:4). When things are going well for us, it’s easy to believe. But if we suffered like Job, would we still have faith and trust?
• Humble ourselves as little children (Matthew 18:4; James 4:10). Consider how open a little child is to being taught. Watch a child’s utter dependence on his parents for everything and see the kind of faith and trust we should have toward God.
• Do good works (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:7, 14). Christians should desire to meet the needs of others as they are able. This includes being responsible for fulfilling commitments to family and community.
• Repent and commit to holding fast to the truth of the Bible (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). We should recognize sinful conduct for what it is and change our behavior. When our sins are forgiven, we should seek truth and commit to it.
• Cultivate spiritual gifts to serve others (Romans 12:6-13; 1 Corinthians 14:12). Christians will look for ways to serve in a variety of situations. We should ask God to provide His gifts to us, recognizing that the greatest gift is love.
• Seek God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:33; Zephaniah 2:3). Our own ways will lead to destruction, pain, suffering, and death. The only way to happiness, fulfillment, and joy is to live righteously according to God’s perfect and beneficial laws.
• Live at peace with others (1 Corinthians 14:33; Isaiah 32:17). Resolve conflicts with humility, consideration, and thoughtfulness. Do not offend others and do not be offended by others.

This is just a sampling of the many Christian values we can find in the pages of the Bible. Each one is food for serious thought about our values. All of them show characteristics that would improve the quality of life and result in happiness, joy, peace, and fulfillment.

The point is that these are attributes we should value in our lives. Why? Because God exists and He has provided an instruction manual in the form of the Holy Bible that clearly shows us how people are to properly function for optimal performance.

If we’re looking for Christian values, this is where we will find them! If everyone agreed to do these things, wouldn’t we see dramatic changes in our lives, in our communities, and in our nations?

Christian values are coming

For now, all we can do individually is incorporate these values into our personal lives. However, the time is coming when Jesus Christ will return to this earth in power and glory. At that time, He will take the blinders away from this world (Ephesians 4:18) and reveal His true values to the people of all nations (Isaiah 11:9).

Today there is chaos, confusion, and conflict in the world. Nations and peoples have their own sets of values and are intolerant of others who don’t share their values. Our news headlines are going to continue to be filled with stories of cruelty, hatred, violence, and war. How do we know that? Because the world is not living by real Christian values. Humans are living in the way that seems right to them—with predictable results (Proverbs 14:12).

In the promised Millennium of peace, under the government of Jesus Christ, representatives from all nations will come to Jerusalem to seek an understanding of the values of God (Isaiah 2:2-3).

We at Life, Hope & Truth proclaim these values today, along with the good news that true Christian values will pervade the soon-coming reign of Jesus Christ.

Why not learn more about applying them in your life today? We encourage you to read more in the sections on “The 10 Commandments” and “Christian Conversion.”

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