Working Smart, Living FaithfullySample

Day 2: Decide

Most people love freedom. We like to make our own decisions and we like to be able to re-make them if we want to. This is the beauty of the return policy and the money-back guarantee. It seems we like the idea of choosing, but the reality of it is a little too scary, so we put cushioning around it to make it feel better. What if I told you that cushioning actually makes it worse? Don’t worry. I’ll explain what I mean.

Every time you make a decision, it takes a certain amount of energy. When you take back a decision (like when you return that shirt that just didn’t quite fit right), you are making another decision—to reverse the original one. Returning the shirt takes just as much emotional and mental energy as buying it in the first place. While we believe the return policy makes our lives easier, maybe it really makes it harder.

There was a study done on people’s satisfaction with their own decisions. In this study, there were two groups of people: the “maximizers” (who wanted the best option out of all possible ones as well as the option to change their mind), and the “satisficers” (who wanted the first “good enough” option). Who do you think were most satisfied with their decision? From the context, you might have guessed it’s the satisficers who committed to their choice, and you'd be right.

Think about this as you make decisions throughout your day. Be intentional when you make the decision, but once you make it, stick with it. There’s no return policy for time.

As you read today’s passages, you might wonder how they relate to the topic of making decisions. Saul, before being confronted by Jesus, made a decision to actively oppose Christians. Saul was so determined to oppose Christians that it would take a literal divine intervention to change his mind. Saul’s determination was a strength, though, and God knew how to use it. In Acts 9:19–31, Saul begins preaching, deciding that Christianity is, in fact, the way to go, and nothing deters him. The disciples tried to reject him, and people in the city tried to kill him. Later, Saul was imprisoned, stoned, and tried many times. No matter what happened, though, he had decided to follow Jesus, and he knew there was no turning back.