Asking For Directions

3 Principles For Making Decisions

Joshua 9:1-27 - Click here to watch the sermon

In this passage, kings in the area had formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and the Israelites.  One group, the Gibeonites, had a different plan in mind.  The Gibeonites had a plan to trick Joshua and the Israelites.  They pretended to be from a distant land by dressing in worn out clothes, carrying worn out possessions, and depleted provisions.  Joshua and his people would end up believing the Gibeonites story and there was nothing they could do about it because they had made an oath with them.

Joshua and the Israelites did not seek the Lord's decision which leads to the 3 Principles to Making Decisions:

1. Pray Instead of Letting Fear Guide You - Joshua knew there were surrounding nations plotting against him so he could have easily welcomed any allies
2. Pray Instead of Moving Too Fast - Joshua only asks two questions and just looks at what the eyes can see, doesn't look beneath the surface
3. Pray Instead of Assuming You Know - Joshua did not seek guidance from the Lord

Pray Instead of Letting Fear Guide You:

How many times in education do we let fear guide our decisions? Joshua was facing 7 nations that were stronger and larger (Deuteronomy 7:1).  What "nations" are individuals in education facing?  Fear from parents, communities, coworkers, bosses, just to name a few.  Our decisions will have a lasting impact on our students, families, community, and our schools.  We must make sure that we turn to God instead of letting fear guide us.  We can accomplish this by not worrying about anything and praying about everything (Philippians 4:6).

Pray Instead of Moving Too Fast:

When Joshua was talking with the Gibeonites he only asked two questions: 1) Who are you? 2) Where did you come from?  How often do we make decisions based on such little information?  When the Gibeonites responded to these questions, Joshua simply believed them.  Proverbs 14:15 says "only simpletons believe everything they're told! The prudent carefully consider their steps." Whether we are disciplining a student, adopting a new policy, or responding to a parent complaint; we must pray instead of moving too fast.

Pray Instead of Assuming You Know:

Joshua and the Israelites concluded that the Gibeonites passed the eye test so they established peace with them and made an oath to let them live with them.  Joshua and his men assumed they knew the truth but did not seek God's guidance.  Have you ever made a decision about a misbehaving student before knowing all of the details? Has a boss ever made a decision that they thought was best for everyone?  Ever received an email from an angry parent that hasn't heard all sides of the story?  Situations like these happen all of the time but we must go to the Lord in prayer to seek his wisdom.  James 1:5 says "if you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you".

Final Thoughts:

Going into next school year I will be a first year principal.  I will be faced with many tough decisions every single day.  If I attempt to answer questions and make decisions on my own, our students, faculty, staff, families, community, and school will suffer.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight".  How will you seek the Lord's guidance in your school? How will you trust God to make the decisions? Leave a comment below or feel free to reach out to me on Twitter.