1 Kings 12.1-24

Reference:  v.8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. (NIV Bible)

Explore:  I hate making big decisions.  I'm fine with all the every day small decisions like what time we should leave, what email should I respond to first, what should I have for lunch etc.  But it's the big, life-changing decisions that I struggle with.  If I do come to the point where I have to make one of these big decisions I find myself talking through the issues with some trusted friends and I'll go for walks and pray about the options and their consequences.  I've found it more challenging when my friends and family support me no matter what and I realise no matter what I decide that God will still love me, so the choice is solely mine.
Rehoboam had a big choice to make as he started out as king.  He consulted a variety of people, but in the end he was the one who had to make the call.

Application:  In Rehoboam's case we can see that he clearly made the wrong choice.  However, often there's not a right and wrong choice to make.  Our decisions are usually a number of options that just lead us in a different direction.  I think it would be easier if there was just the 'right' path and the 'wrong' path.  But it's usually more the case of being 'this' way or 'that' way.  Recently, when I was confronted with one of these big decisions I was comforted in the knowledge that no matter what I did and where I went God would always be there for me.  Even if we do happen to take that 'wrong' path, we can always rely on God to be beside us each step of the way. It doesn't make the decision making any easier, but it does bring hope to whatever future we decide.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for fulfilling your promise to always be there for us.  Help us to draw from your wisdom in our time of decision making.  Amen.

What strategies do you find helpful when you are confronted with a big decision?