Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout May I have dedicated to guest writers. As I’ve gotten to know Moe, through his blog and Twitter, I have come to appreciate his perspective on life. He uses humor and story to share his thoughts on technology, Biblical characters and the particularly disturbing saga of a canary. I am delighted to have him sharing here today!
Heads or Tails
Most people have a hard time making tough decisions. It’s no easy task, because those decisions usually carry grave consequences if not made well. This is why us Christians approach God for guidance when it comes to making those tough decisions. I can’t speak about you, but when I need direction I can get a bit dramatic. I go into my prayer closet (it’s not a real closet), stretch my spiritual hamstrings and begin to pray. It looks something like this:
“Lord, look at this (insert problem here), I bring it up to you so that you can open the windows and doors of heaven (because we all know blessings fly out from heavenly windows and doors) and give me direction.”
This goes on for a few minutes until patience (or lack thereof) kicks in. Then it gets a bit more dramatic. I start pacing up and down the room, I start looking up at the ceiling (really, what is it with that?), and when frustrated and a bit confused, I may even break a tear or two.
Here is where it gets interesting. A little lightbulb pops up in my head (maybe because I’m looking at the ceiling). I am reminded that casting lots was a perfectly appropriate way of making decisions in Biblical times (it’s mentioned 70 times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament). This is how they knew that Jonah was the one that caused the storm in the boat. Also the way Matthias became Judas’ replacement. Surely this is the way I will know how to make my decision.
After dramatic prayer and tears, I realized that I don’t have “lots” to cast. I don’t have any sticks lying around the home that I can use. Since I like to think of myself as someone who makes sense out of things (it has worked 10% of the time) I decided that the 21st century way of casting lots is the heads or tails coin flip.
I make sure that I find a really old rusty looking quarter. Only because I remembered how Indiana Jones chose the old, beat up cup that belonged to a carpenter in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I assign a decision to each side (I am a tails type of guy, so the decision I want to make gets the tail treatment) and I throw it up in the air.
Time slows down (a la Matrix) and I see the coin go up and flip several times in the air. Just before it hits the floor, I do what any good Christian would do. I say, “in Jesus name”. I take a few steps back, and look at the coin sitting on the floor begging me to look at it. I look up again (at the light bulb of course) and take a few steps to find that the coin showed heads.
I walk away disappointed and start to think I did something wrong. After a while, I get my keys and head out to search for some real, wooden lots.
Welcome to my life.
How do you make decisions?
Do you prefer heads or Tails?
Moe (Beta Christian) is a native New Yorker that enjoys the beauty, history, people and the rich cultural diversity found in the city of New York. He has a healthy obsession for writing, reading, photography, technology, and coffee. Most days, he can be found drinking a fine brewed cup o’ joe while writing on his shiny new Macbook Air at your neighborhood coffee shop. He blogs at betaChristian.net.
0 Responses
I make decisions but gut to be honest.
I would love to say I pray and respond to what God wants me to do in each and every decision but I just don’t. Something I am aware of though and working on.
Hey, I think we all do. I think God gave us a brain and sound judgment to make some decisions. Others, do need some prayer time and direction from the Spirit.
I agree, Moe. I am bringing up my children to be able to discern the right decision when present with certain situations. To expect them to turn to me each time they need to make a choice is just silly. I think God does the same with us. He provides us with wisdom and experiences that help us to follow His path, and in times where we feel uncertain He is there to guide us.
My decision making is often calculated, risk-averse, and very deliberate. In another life, I probably would have been a good actuary. So a lot of times that involves asking other people’s opinions, researching the internet, consulting my Excel spreadsheet, etc. Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe I need to just “be” sometimes… and trust that God is working behind the scenes…
You are such a geeky decision maker. Thank you for taking the risk of “friending” me buddy!
Consulting the Excel spreadsheet? Wow, I thought my hubby deliberated too much! What does your wife think of that!?
Funnily enough, I do a lot of those same things…and then sometimes I throw all of that data out the window and go with my gut. Like Gibbs on NCIS. 🙂 I think both are acceptable ways to follow God’s plan.
My decisions are well analyzed. I like to get as much information as possible before going for it, and sometimes even was too much time trying to find the right direction. I so wish that when I went to God with prayer for direction it would be easier to hear the answer, but for me not so much. I just have to pray He gives me the knowledge I need and is with me in the decision that I choose.
…and I pick tails.
Yes, the answers don’t always come easy and/or on our time. But I trust that He has never steered you wrong.
You and I are tail type of guys. (this sounds dirty, but it’s not).
Hey! Careful! This is a family-friendly blog. 🙂 Just kidding (not about the family-friendly part).
Decisions usually are extremely deliberate, unless it comes to something creative in which then I go with my first idea and execute without thinking. If I don’t like what I see, I can change it so that’s not a big deal.
Other types of decisions I usually ask God to in specific prayers to eliminate one choice or another, so as to be 100% clear what path I should try and lead my family. This approach fails never.
Good going Ben. Creative decision making makes for fun living. Honestly, I’ve done it myself. However, prayerfully, creative decision making is even better! It never does fail.
This is a hilarious way to look at how we make decisions! 🙂 I wish I could say that all my decisions are made by listening to God, but like you stated, I tend to get impatient and restless and I tend to go ahead with my decisions on my own.
Oh, I so understand the “impatient and restless” part of decision making. I pace back and forth, look up, etc… If we are all as honest as you, we can all admit that often times we go ahead and go with our “gut” feeling.
I have to “make decisions”? I thought that if you just did nothing things would be answered for you!
Actually – prayer and then I go with how I feel lead – I guess that would be gut feeling. Prayer is always first in big decisions.
Good thought My Friend!
Well, some of us don’t have wise servants and magicians to make our decisions for us Jim. 🙂
Prayer and leading are good approaches… first approaches. However, you should say “abs” feeling, since your gut is made up of a 24 pack. #Zing!
Moe,
Now this is an interesting way to look at things. A coin toss? Hmmm. Perhaps one day I shall try this.
As a son of God I follow this path:
“It’s easier to say you’re sorry than it is to ask permission.”
It has served me very, very well. Our Dad doesn’t hide His will from us or refuse to answer our requests when we need direction, and seeing how He has engraved His word upon our hearts and filled us with His Spirit, (*takes a breath*), then it stands to reason, for me anyhow, that when it comes time to make decisions, I make them as a son knowing that my Dad will meet me on the other side no matter what. (Yes, folks, that is an example of a horrid run-on sentence. My English teacher would be aghast.)
With all things involving our Father, as a son I act boldly, pray boldly, speak boldly, render decisions boldly, pursue boldly, and have realized that being offensive to the weak-minded is not really such a bad thing. I do even that, boldly. Ha!
This is good stuff, my hermano. I know I will revisit this post in the near future for perspective from a different angle. Thanks!
You know what’s interesting Donald. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that “casting lots” was not an accurate form of decision making. Why? Well, Prov. 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD”. He was the one who guided where the lot “fell”. Great and difficult decisions were made on that practice. So, yes, I would highly recommend you toss that coin! 🙂
As far as personal decisions. Yes, we all have the freedom to make decision, but our decisions carry a great weight of consequences. Solomon in all his wisdom, destroyed his life with unsafe and raunchy living. One man, made a decision and ended up getting mauled by a lion (can’t remember text).
Moe,
True enough. Matthias was chosen by the casting of lots to replace Judas. Casting lots is not un-Scriptural at all. I hope I didn’t infer such a thing. Surely not my intention.
I would point to James when he says that wisdom is given freely to whoever would ask. So which should we do? Should we flip that coin or should we ask? Or, perhaps, a mixture of both? Hmmm.
And what about us approaching the Throne with the confidence of a son? Should we be indecisive and unstable, wavering back and forth, or fearing to act in case we “miss the mark”? Good stuff here, Moe. I enjoy this with you. It has been too long.
I have to jump in here, fellas.
I’m pretty much like Donald…I figure His Spirit lives within me and guides my decisions. I actually don’t think too much, and usually go with my intuition, which I believe is God at work within me. (Please ignore my numerous attempts at deciding whether I should get the Kindle, iPad, or Nook, or Nook Color, or NOTHING!). Of course, I have to really think about it so my flesh doesn’t get in the way. For some decisions, it’s hard to move the flesh outta the way. For others, it doesn’t even matter and it’s simple.
But, my greatest hope is knowing that even though my decisions do have consequences, He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Even if I somehow screw it up, He will still make something beautiful of my screw up. He will still use it for my good. For me, this is what brings allows me to approach the throne with a bold confidence. He’s got my back-He’s got it covered.
This is an awesome conversation with my brothas! I just wuv you guys to pieces!
When all else fails, I simply text my bff: A or B? And then she tells me what to do. That’s kinda like tossing a coin, right? 🙂
Usually go with my gut.
But I pick heads.
Heads? Oh come on! Tails “never fails”. Well, not really! 🙂
I’m thankful God gave me a gut that has feelings. 🙂 Similar to the whole “He gave us a brain, so we should use it” concept, I am a logical decision-maker who thinks things through, researches, prays, and (yes) uses excel…And when in doubt, use her gut. 😀 The Lord had blessed it so far…Who am I to question it?! Haha!
Wait, you actually use your “gut”? (kidding). Yes, I agree, some things are really up to us to determine. Other more important decisions should be approached prayerfully and with much care.
oh my dang – you are so funny!
How do I make decisions… I ask my husband. Just kidding… um, I pray, journal, read scripture, pray some more. Then just go for it!
You know, my wife tried doing that (asking me) and then realized I made terrible decisions. Now she bypasses me. The nerve!! 🙂
Journal – that’s a good idea. I once met someone who journaled all her prayers. She would revisit them and find which ones were answered, and which not. She said it often led her to praise to see how God had moved in her life. Wonderful idea.
You gotta know to always go with heads!
“When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you, but because, in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for.” – Kevin Purdy quote.
Great quote Ryan. Wow! thanks for sharing!
I love that quote! Isn’t it so true?! Thanks for sharing that, Ryan. 🙂
I’m am probably one of the most INDECISIVE people ever. I’m the one who’s always fine with anything and everything. Hence, I suck at making decisions. I, too, tend to get a bit dramatic at times…thinking maybe then God will really hear me (*stupid thinking*). Also, a lot of times big decisions overwhelm me; it something I’m still learning–to give God complete control, and know that He will see me through regardless of some poor decisions made along the way.
Make up your mind Jon! Are you or are you not indecisive? Cause you confused me. LOL. (just kidding).
I think the benefit we have other those who don’t know Christ is that we have access to Him. He will never let the righteous fall.
I make decisions with prayer and fasting. Can’t decide for dinner? Fast. Can’t decide on which movie to watch, pray until I see a picture of the trailer in my head. It’s my special way of being holier than thou. Thou doest as thou pleaseth with thine coineth.
Well, we all know you are 39% more spiritual than us all. Can I put my coineth where the sunneth don’t shineth?
{snort}
Moe, you crack me up, while at the same time leaving me with spiritual truth. Thanks for hanging out here today. 🙂
au contraire Melissa. Thank you for the opportunity. I love your digs and you have something special here. Thanks so much for letting me put my feet up on your virtual coffee table that is your blog. I’m glad you had fun.
For me the coin toss is a formality. I’ve already made up my mind what I’m going to do before it even hits the floor.
So your decision is made during the “matrix” slow down period? Nice Larry!
I try to consider the consequences of my decisions. I usually base them on what I think will get me in the least amount of “trouble”. I’d like to think I at least think of what God would want me to do. But I rarely take the time to actually talk with him about the decision. I’m a heads guy but I’ve never used a coin to make a decision. But actually praying for what God want’s me to do. Who would thought of that? Good post Moe.
Decision with less risk are easily made. But the hard ones… Now that’s the challenge. Praying does help, but sometimes silence is a killer. One day try the coin. Would love to see the outcome.
I usually ask myself–What would Moe do? And then do the opposite 🙂
Really, though, I’m usually a heads guy. Not sure why.
And that’s why you are the wiser man. My motto should be, “What would Moe do? Do the opposite”: WWMDDTO. Yeah, that sounds about right. LOL.
Heads= because you have a big noggin? Nah? Then I don’t know why. LOL