I have come to understand that decision making is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish especially between two immutable things. You can not help but think the pathway you forsook for the one you are taking may be the right one after all. This thought in itself is very troubling and a sense to run the forsaken path becomes heavy on your mind. Imagine a friend of mine announced that she was not interested in marrying her fiancé just 2 days to the introduction. In her own words “I am still in love with my former boyfriend and I am happy to call off this relationship (referring to the abolished relationship). Could this be true or the typical dilemma that faces decision making?
In making decisions like this, experience is always sought by the actor, in order to come to a favorable decision. I experienced a scenario today that makes me question the use of experience in every day decision. I sent a mail through the NIPOST Speed Mail popularly called EMS and was promised delivery after 3 working days but NIPOST partners TNT failed to deliver it on the said date so on going to NIPOST to complain, I was told not to worry that it would be delivered the day I made the complain. Oh was I furious, but I kept my cool knowing NIPOST has breached the contract and the mail was time-sensitive. I went home eagerly anticipating a delivery report on the TNT site but was I disappointed. I waited impatiently the next day to come, only to check the site in my office and discovered the mail was still not been delivered 2 days after the scheduled date. Oh was I furious with myself and thinking of the next step of action to take.
I was faced with two alternatives; either to go to NIPOST to complain bitterly or let the event sort themselves out. Experience has taught me that the latter can never work out so I decided to try the former but immediately arrested by the Spirit of God who gently told me to take the latter. As you know, I ignored the Spirit of God and went with experience. Boy was I angry with myself after complaining bitterly and nothing was solved; I sat down in the Post office for 40 minutes of work time just staring at the air looking for a strategy to adopt then the message I heard in church started filtering in.
Going back to the Garden of Eden where two trees were located in the midst; the tree of good and evil and the tree of life. God specifically warns us not to take the tree of good and evil which is known as Experience in today’s parlance but to eat of other trees especially the tree of life which is regarded as the Holy Spirit. Jesus actually attested the Holy Spirit as the best teacher so why do we always regard experience as the best teacher. Why do we always believe that what happened to Mr. A is a best indication of the situation? Why don’t we trust in the Holy Spirit? Why do we ignore Him in the face of emotional turmoil? I took out time to understand this myself and I came with the following conclusion;
1)     Conditioning: We have been conditioned to believe in what we see rather than what we don’t see in essence we are driven by our sensory organ and we immediately doubt that which does not appear physically. This is what we are entitled to conquer as a Christian in order to win the battle against the flesh. But how feasible is this; this can only take place when we cooperate with God and spend time with him. The more we spend with God, the more we are able to be perceptive to what we don’t see. Â
2)Â Â Â Â Â Multitude of Counselors: Â the scripture that supports multitude of counsellorship has been misplaced and wrongly interpreted. A lady before accepting a guy would ask advice from various counselors on the pros and cons of making such decision and the popular advice is always opted for by the lady. I find this very misleading because God is not a democrat nor is he interested in the popular advice. There is a specific advice for specific persons and this can only be found by the manufacture of that person and that is God. It is when God has spoken to you, that a confirmation is communicated to the individual through various medium.
3)     Can’t Hear God: This is a common issue amongst Christians who find it difficult to perceive when God is communicating to them. Understanding what God is saying to you per time comes with practice; it is an ever-learning experience because he speaks to you through His Spirit who communicates to you in the best way possible. There is no clear definition of how this is done, but a “knowing†on the inside of a person that this is God speaking. When God speaks it is easier to go for the alternative because one is not always use to his voice. Some best indications are that God can never tell you to do what you are familiar with especially in decision making because He wants you to grow.
4)Â Â Â Â Â Easier Route: It is human to favor the easier route to solving any task but this always compound issue. A deep rooted person stand firm in all weather condition. Take for example my decision to go complain bitterly is easier than just sitting down and doing nothing (though this is based on personality and temperament). My temperament permits me to go for the action, this is an easier route but mostly a wrong approach when you are in God; one is expected to be patient (a golden virtue) which is difficult to attain in such given situation.
5)     Emotions speak louder: In discerning God and our emotion, we find the emotion speaking louder than God’s voice for a novice. The decision my friend took to canceling the wedding may be right or wrong but her response simply shows the emotion speaking louder than God. She may eventually get it right but only God can judge.
Experience may seem good but the Holy Spirit is the best teacher………….
