What if I make the wrong decision?
God is not thrown off course by your wrong turns. He guides His people, He works all things for good for those who love Him, and even our mistaken choices fall within His sovereign care. Ask for wisdom, own the mistake before Him, and keep trusting the One who will complete the good work He began.
This question arose from studying How do I know God's will? and If God controls everything, do my choices matter?.
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Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
You are not left to guess alone
James promises that if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally and without reproach. Proverbs ties trusting God to straight paths: trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. A man plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps.
But 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.
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.
God is sovereign over the outcome
You do not carry the weight of the future alone. For those who love God, all things work together for good. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. Even God's word to exiled Israel in a season of their own failure was a plan for good: 'thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.' Your wrong turn is not the end of His purposes.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
His guidance is usually wisdom, not a hidden map
God has already told us most of what we need to decide well. Micah sums it up: 'to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.' Jesus adds: seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. The difficult decisions are usually made in the same way as the easy ones: by wisdom, Scripture, prayer, and godly counsel, trusting that a heart set on Him is being guided by Him.
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Even a wrong step can be redeemed
The psalm promises that though a good man stumbles, he shall not fall, because the Lord holds him up with His hand. God's track record is written in redemptive detours: Joseph's brothers meant evil, but God meant it for good. Your choice is not beyond His reach; He has a long history of bending fallen choices toward His purposes, not because the wrong was right, but because His grace is larger.
A man’s goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way. Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
The way forward after a mistake
When you realize you chose wrongly, do not spiral or freeze: own it before God, for He is faithful to forgive and cleanse when we confess. Ask for the wisdom you lacked, and then press on. Paul, who had made ruinously wrong choices in his past, said it best: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal. One step of faithfulness after a fall is still faithfulness.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But 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.
Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
As you read, you may wonder…
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Verses to meditate on
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
But 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.
A man’s goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way. Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.
Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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