Many of life’s questions can be answered with “yes or no”, “right or wrong.” We can point to certain scriptures and use biblical principles to back up these answers. But many of life’s questions cannot be answered with “yes or no,” “right or wrong.” It’s that old “black and white” area versus the proverbial “gray.”
The bible gives definite instructions about certain things like not having premarital sex, stealing, judging others, bearing false witness, committing adultery, drinking too much wine and so on. However the bible does not tell us whether or not to make career change, have another baby, move to different town, go to college, get married to a certain person, or join the P.T.A. It doesn’t tell us whether or not to buy a new car, get a dog, take sky diving lessons, or let our kids listen to certain music.
These are “gray” areas. What would be beneficial for some to do might not be beneficial for others.
When faced with “gray” area decisions it is wise to use the “gray matter” God gave us to deal with these situations – our brains. God has created within us a decision-making ability that he expects us to use. He wants us to think, reason, and make choices. If God made all our choices, we would be robots not human beings.
We need to learn to prayerfully weigh the pros and cons of our circumstances before making a decision. While it might be a good idea for one person to make a career change, it might not be a good idea for another. And what if our choice to change careers doesn’t work out the way we thought it should? It’s all too easy to just blame God rather than repeat the process again – prayerfully weigh the pros and cons, then make a decision.
Of course, keeping God involved in the decision making process through prayer is vital. However, God wants us to use our brains. Dealing with gray areas of life, requires us to use our gray matter. Use it or lose it. The more you exercise your brain power, the better your decision making ability becomes.
