Trying to decide? You KNOW what to do
My daughter is a professional photographer. I might be biased, but she’s really good and she’s extremely committed to doing right by her clients. See her photo above or some more here.
Earlier this week she was grappling with a tough business decision.
What my wife told her was brilliant: “If you’re struggling with what to do, I think you already KNOW what to do.”
We have a word for this emotional tug-of-war: “tension.”
We all face it daily.
It’s the wrestling match between what we THINK is best for us from a human perspective versus what we KNOW we should do — what we know is best for ALL involved — in an eternal way. Some examples:
How do I explain my situation? … (Just explain your situation. If you don’t, you’ll feel tension.)
When do I make the call? … (Right now. The longer you wait, the more tension you’ll feel.)
Who do I tell? … (The person who needs to know. Not everyone else. If rumors and gossip erupt, there will be LOTS of tension.)
What do I say? … (Just tell the truth. Lying leads to tension.)
The Apostle Paul prescribed a formula to defeat tension thousands of years ago.
In 1 Corinthians 7, he writes: “Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.”
In other words: Don’t complicate your life unnecessarily. When we try to manipulate circumstances in OUR favor instead of what’s true and best for ALL involved, it creates tension. And tension creates anxiety and worry. And anxiety and worry create lots and lots of other problems for us.
Later in the chapter, Paul writes: “I want you to be free from the concerns of this life.”
How is that possible with all that’s going on in our world today?
Here’s how: The next time you’re not sure what to do, the next time you’re feeling tension, the next time you’re really struggling with a decision, just follow the spiritual wisdom of Paul and remember the words of my wife.
“If you’re struggling with what to do, I think you already KNOW what to do.”
It might not be THE right thing to do. But it will be YOUR right thing to do.
And it will bring you peace. We saw that firsthand this week.
(Tim Kolodziej is the creator of EnspireU.com and author of this piece. You can email him here.)