Not knowing what to decision to make can be crippling. We all know that feeling. Those times when we feel like we have too many options or too many variations of the same option, that we can’t seem to settle on what to do. Like when you go to the grocery store and stand in the cereal isle for an eternity because the hundreds of different options have left you paralyzed. Interestingly enough, often we can feel this crippling feeling even more so when we are believers. Why? Because as believers we desperately want to know what the Lord wants us to do, so we feel paralyzed and do nothing for fear that we will choose the wrong path. And if we choose wrong then we think we will be out of His will. So, we. do. nothing. However, as I was reading in Acts, I feel the Lord showed me how He would prefer we deal with our decisions.
In Acts 1: 23-26 it says:
“And they put forward two men, Joseph, the one called Barsabbas (who was surnamed Justus), and Matthias. They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know all hearts [their thoughts, motives, desires], show us which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship which Judas left to go to his own place [of evil].” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”
This passage is after Jesus died, rose from the grave and made Himself known to His disciples and others. Before He ascended to heaven, He told them that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit, so they left from His ascension and began to gather together in an upper room to await the Holy Spirit. As they were there they realized they needed to replace Judas’s spot as a disciple since he killed himself after betraying Jesus. Don’t you think that decision weighed greatly on the disciples? Even though they had two great candidates in Matthias and Joseph, I am sure they did not want to make the wrong decision and be right back where they were with Judas. I could see how this decision could have been crippling for them. What did the Lord want? Who was really the best? Was one or both of them going to betray the group like Judas betrayed Jesus? The questions and concerns had to be numerous. And I am sure they began to feel overwhelmed and almost paralyzed. Notice I said almost. BUT, before we can go further and find out why it’s “almost paralyzed” and not “completely paralyzed” and how that can help us today, let’s make sure we understand what casting lots was for the disciples.
Basically, before Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and the other believers in the upper room) the disciples would “cast lots” to determine the will of God. According to carm.org, “lots could have been sticks with markings, stones with symbols, etc. which were thrown into a small area and then the results were interpreted. Scripture cites many instances of people casting lots, and it seems to be used when important decisions needed to be made, but there was not enough guidance that had already been provided through wisdom and/or Scripture”. Picture throwing dice and the number set as “yours” before you threw your die came up when you rolled. That’s casting lots.
Now, back to how does all of that help us today? Do we need to go back to the lot system? No. When you read the New Testament you see that, once the power of the Holy Spirit fell in the upper room, the disciples never again used the lot system. They didn’t need to, they now had the Lord living IN them. As we do. So ok, if not the lot system, then what does this teach us? I believe God wants us to see how even though this was an important and, I am sure, difficult decision, they used 3 simple steps to make a confident decision and move forward.
1) They prayed.
The number one step is the number one step that we often forget in the midst of making difficult decisions. We get caught up in the wondering. We call friends and family. We make pros and cons list. We do all these things, and more, before we ever speak one word to God. Honestly though, it’s not that those things are wrong, it’s just that they are in the wrong order. Our first step in the midst of every decision, big or small, difficult or easy, should always be prayer. Not sure what to say or how to start? Peter’s prayer from this passage can apply to almost any situation. He said, “You, Lord, who know all hearts [their thoughts, motives, desires], show us which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship”. Maybe your decision is about two places. Maybe it’s about two jobs. Maybe it’s about one person. No matter what or whom it is about Peter’s prayer can be your template. It could sound something like this:
“You, Lord, who knows all, who sees all, lead me to which location You have chosen for me to be purposefully planted to bear fruit and glorify Your name”. Or you could pray, “You, Lord, who are my provider, who holds my future, lead me to which job You have chosen for me, to use me as Your disciple, to love and serve others”. Or lastly you could pray, “You, Lord, who know all hearts, their thoughts, motives and desires, lead me in how You have chosen for me to care for, uplift and love this person, as Christ loves me, no matter how they may act or treat me”. Pray like Peter. Pray with your own words. Just pray, first.
2) They cast lots, we listen.
This one will look a little different for us disciples today, but the point still remains. As I said earlier, the disciples cast lots because this was before the Holy Spirit fell and empowered all who were in the upper room. They used the lot method to get their direction from the Lord. No longer do we need to do that, we can now literally hear from the Lord when we pray to Him. However, we must stick around long enough to hear His answer. When you have a conversation with someone and you ask a question, it would be odd for you to walk away before hearing the answer, right? So why do that with the Lord? During a time of decision, we must first pray, but if we aren’t still long enough we may miss His answer! I can tell you from experience, when I sincerely take my decisions to the Lord in prayer, the Holy Spirit often leads me in the direction He wants me to go. The times He “didn’t” are the times I didn’t wait for a response but instead just did what I wanted to do. Do I hear an audible voice? No. But I do feel a guiding presence or a “peace that passes all understanding” towards a certain answer. Just like the disciples heard from the Lord by Matthias’s lot falling, we can hear from the Lord by taking the time to listen, with our ears (by God speaking through other believers), and with our spirits (by the Holy Spirit’s leading, 1 Corinthians 2:12-13) when we have asked Him for guidance.
3) They acted.
This may be the hardest one for us to do. We struggle when it comes to action even after we have prayed and listened. The disciples didn’t. They saw Matthias’s lot come up and they immediately “added him to the eleven apostles”. They didn’t say “oh, did you see his lot hit that rock, maybe we should roll again”. Or “ya know, Joseph’s lot did almost turn over, maybe we should roll again”. No. They prayed for the Lord to “show them which one He has chosen” and once Matthias’s lot came up, they didn’t hesitate to bring him into the fold. In contrast, we often say “oh, I think it was me talking instead of the Lord, maybe I should pray some more”. Or “ya know, this can’t be what He wants, maybe I should pray some more”. Is praying more wrong? No. Not if it is sincere. However, we must become more like the disciples and fully trust and believe that if we have prayed. If we have taken the time to listen to the Holy Spirit’s response and leading. We can then act without hesitation. We don’t need to let fear or worry shut us down. We don’t need to let anxiety and questioning keep us frozen. The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the One who sees all, knows all and understands all, has heard our prayer, and moved our spirit, so we can boldly and confidently move forward!
The Lord makes it simple for us when things feel anything but. Pray. Listen. Act. So, no matter if you take the path to the left. Or you take the path to the right. Or you take the path down the center. When you have prayed and listened, you are free to act. And He will make all decisions good for those that love Him and are surrendered to His will.
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