When we act now – and pray later

By SHERYL H. BOLDT

How are your impulsive decisions working for you? And how many of them do you regret?
Sometimes we make hasty decisions that result in terrible consequences for us and those we love. Then, hoping to claw our way out of the regrets that follow, we make more impulsive decisions. Purchases, dating, career choices … do any of these sound familiar?
The thing is, we know better. We’ve heard (and even learned through experience) how important it is to pray before making a decision. So why do we continue in our stupid – excuse me – imprudent ways?
Why do we feel compelled to act now and, “if necessary,” pray later? We feel as if we must make a decision right now to avoid a catastrophe, but then discover that our impending catastrophe is not as imminent as we believed. More important, the opportunity we jumped at often turns out to be the opposite of God’s plan for us.
Our quest for an immediate resolution can become more important than discovering what God has to say about it. We may even think God doesn’t care enough to respond to our “insignificant” prayers.
What if we made God a real part of our day? What would happen if we prayed about our choices as if we believed, beyond a doubt, that God was God? And that He cares a whole lot? Maybe then, it would be easier for us to practice Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV):
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
How many regrets could we avoid if we asked God about our decisions?
Whether we’re seeking guidance on important life matters, our finances or the way we choose to spend our time, wouldn’t we benefit from trusting God with it?
God knows everything there is to know about each of us; therefore, He has the best perspective on what’s good for us. Our heavenly Father is fully aware of our circumstances and knows how each person we love will be affected by our choices.
Imagine what might happen if we stopped making impulsive decisions and no longer had to pray our way out of the mess we’ve created.
As we trust God with all our heart and acknowledge Him in all our ways, as our verse instructs us to do, our lives will move in a better direction. We can confidently rely on our heavenly Father to get us to the place where He wants us.
A place with less frustration, fewer regrets . . .  and less haste.

Sheryl H. Boldt is a sales executive for Wave 94 and author of the blog, TodayCanBeDifferent.net. Connect with her at SherylHBoldt.Wave94@gmail.com.