Which way, O Lord? Making decisions in life and leadership

Do you ever wonder if you’re going in the right direction?

In Psalm 25, David wrestles with this question: “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me” (Ps 25:4-5a, NLT).

As the psalm unfolds, David encourages us to trust that the Lord will indeed show us the right path and teach us his ways.

For example, in verses 8 and 9, we read, “The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.”

When we as leaders follow God’s lead in life choices, and obey him even in the little things, we can’t help but make better decisions in every area of life, including leadership.

But sometimes, we’re faced with two options that seem equally wise. If God doesn’t give us clear direction, what do we do then?

Asking ourselves questions like these might help: 1) Which direction would honor God more? 2) Which option is most in alignment with what I’ve done or known in the past? 3) Have I asked close advisors their opinion?

David writes in Psalm 25:23, “Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose” (v. 12). David’s “path” is primarily referring to a general direction in life, but fearing the Lord also leads to guidance in daily decisions.

When we remember that our fearsome Lord can do whatever he wants, including suddenly altering our circumstances and changing people’s hearts and minds, we can be confident that whatever outcome he chooses is the right one from his perspective. This is helpful to remember when we’re not sure what to do.

This leads to a comforting conclusion: If we seek him, whichever way we go will play into the Lord’s loving, sovereign plan for us.

Seeking the path,

Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
LinkedIn profile | My books