Three Steps to Take Before a Major Decision at Work
By Rick Warren
“It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding. He provides help and protection for those who are righteous and honest.” Proverbs 2:6-7 (GNT)
Are you facing a tough decision about what to do in your job or career? Fortunately, the wealthiest businessman who ever lived also wrote two books of the Bible—Proverbs and Ecclesiastes—and spread his wisdom about wealth and work.
Solomon’s wisdom in Proverbs offers three first steps that apply to any kind of major decision you need to make. So what are those three steps to get you started?
First, check the Bible.
Before you get anybody else’s perspective on what you’re going to do, you need to go to God’s Word and get his perspective. The Bible says in Proverbs 2:6-7, “It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding. He provides help and protection for those who are righteous and honest” (GNT).
Next, get the facts.
Proverbs 18:13 says, “What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!” (TLB). Before I started Saddleback Church, I spent six months getting the facts. I read everything in print on church growth before I even moved to Orange County. Then I studied demographics and census statistics, and I discovered that between 1970 and 1980, Orange County was the fastest-growing county in America, and the Saddleback Valley was the fastest-growing area in Orange County. I thought, “They’re probably going to need some new churches!” I wanted to minister where I knew there was going to be a need—and through research I discovered that need and how to address it.
Then, ask for advice.
You need to talk to people who’ve made a similar decision and also to people who know how God has shaped you. Ask them, “Am I shaped to do this or not? Does God seem to be leading me in this direction?
Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without advice plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed” (GW).
One of the reasons we don’t want to ask for advice is we don’t want to admit that we don’t know all the answers. But humility and wisdom go together. When you are prideful and think you know it all, you are more likely to fail.
To make a wise decision and be successful, you need to first check the Bible, then research the facts, and finally ask advice from people who have experience and know the way you’ve been shaped.
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