Good Decisions Are Made Through Right Beliefs

by Barbara Latta

Recently a man went swimming in a Texas canal where posted signs warned of the danger of alligators. Ignoring the signs the man took a dive into the water and was never seen again. The man made a series of decisions resulting in the loss of his life.

Why do we make the decisions we do?

What affects the decisions we make? The way we think. And the way we think is determined by our belief system. Apparently, this man believed he was invincible. Why? We do not know because he is not here to tell us.

Culture, environment, and the opinions of others can determine our ability to process information. A baby boomer and a Millennial will view the same situation in different ways because their belief systems were formed by the culture and environments they grew up in.

Emotions are easily manipulated and that’s why people are so easily swayed by advertising or political arguments. If you are not grounded in your belief system you can follow the crowd without knowing where you are going. How many times do our kids say, “But everyone is doing it?”

Beliefs determine choices

Values change with each passing year. Does that mean the current generation is more “enlightened” than the previous one because of differences in standards? No, it means the population of each passing decade has relied more on human intelligence and reasoning to determine society’s values. 

As the morals and beliefs of the generation currently being formed deteriorates, so does the society it embraces. A look at the TV shows being broadcast and the movies coming out of Hollywood are all we need to reflect the downward spiral. What we believe should be founded on truth and not opinions, environment, politics, culture or the entertainment industry.

How do we remedy bad decision making?

No matter where we have lived, worked, or received our education, our beliefs can be changed to line up with what God says. The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).  Changing our thinking to line up with what God says will alter our actions because our belief system will bring change to the decisions we make.

A political party, organization, university, motivational speaker, book, movie, friend, or foe shouldn’t be the driving force behind our beliefs.God is the only One Who is right so He is the One we should look to for anchoring our values.

Our thinking cap needs to center on God.

The Supreme Ruler of the universe who created us all knows what we need so we can think and act in a manner that will bring wholeness to our lives. Only then will we be directed to make sound decisions.

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