Everyone has fears. One of mine is making decisions.
But recently I have learned there’s not always a right or wrong when it comes to decision-making. For far too long, I lived my life in constant worry of whether I was making the right choice. I have come to find out that it’s not always about what choice we make, but just that we make a choice.
There have been several decisions I have prayed about, waiting for the Lord to give me a clear answer on what the “right” decision is. It hasn’t been until recently that I realized sometimes I just need to make a decision, even if I’m not sure if it’s right, to get guidance from God.
An important lesson I have come to learn is that even when we pray and ask for guidance, God won’t always tell us exactly what to do.
Some might ask, “but I thought God had a plan for me?” Yes, He does have a plan for us. Part of that plan is learning to make decisions for ourselves. An important aspect of His plan is agency, and He trusts us to make our own decisions. He isn’t going to tell us what to do every time we ask Him, but He will be there to guide us after decisions have been made.
Since I have realized this, I have been less scared about making decisions. I know that no matter what decision I make, God won’t let me go down the wrong path for too long without giving me a warning. There are even times where we are led to make a decision we think is “right,” and then sometimes, it just turns out we needed to make that decision to know it was “wrong.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland demonstrates this concept in a Church video called “Wrong Roads.” Elder Holland shares a story where he and his son were driving and came to a fork in the road, not knowing which way to go. They prayed about it and felt strongly to go one way, only to find it was a dead end. Elder Holland’s son was confused and asked him why that happened since they felt good about the way they chose to go when they prayed.
Elder Holland’s response to his son was simple, yet profound: “I think that the Lord, His wish for us there, and His answer to our prayer was to get us on the right road as quickly as possible with some reassurance, with some understanding, that we were on the right road and we didn't have to worry about it.”
We’re not going against God’s plan when we make a decision that we’re not sure about. Sometimes the “right” decision is to just make a decision. God loves effort. To move along in the plan He has for each of us, we can’t sit still and wait, we just need to make a choice.
— Kenzie Holbrook
Newsletter Editor