Yesterday I signed a new 6 month lease on my apartment. I was sweating bullets though, wondering if it was the right thing to do. In a panic I called 4 different people to get their opinion (pretty smart thing to do when facing big decisions).

We all want to dodge difficult decisions. Sometimes our theology even ‘saves’ us from having to make difficult decisions. But is that the kind of person that God is raising up? The kind of person who doesn’t make any difficult decisions because they’ve already been made? Or the kind of person who is waiting for God to make things happen? Is God’s goal to raise children who can’t make difficult decisions?

Choices are good but choices can also be scary. Choices can be especially scary for a perfectionist. It’s easy to make a decision when the results are quantifiable (I better not buy that new toy because I don’t have the money) but some of the bigger decisions we make are not as easily discernible. Qualitative decisions about jobs, relationships, and time management can strike fear in even the most calculated person.

Advertisers understand people don’t want to make difficult decisions so they advertise their product as “the BEST.” I’ve never seen an advertisement, “Our brand has ABC benefits while our competitors’ brand also has XYZ advantages.” Instead, we hear things like, “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do…” InNOut Burger is one of the most profitable fast-food chains because their menu advertises only 3 options. Even the advertising executives at Mad Men understand the difficulty people have in making decisions: (more…)