When you are in doubt, the simple wisdom is, do not take hasty decisions. Instead wait.
Allow some time to pass. It can be a few minutes, hours or days depending on the situation you are in.
The second step when in doubt is, ask God for wisdom1. Do not worry about how he is going to answer you.
If you are a genuine seeker, God will listen to you and he will give you the right guidance.
The third step when in doubt is to talk to people who genuinely care about you. Their advice can be coloured by their own fears, biases, or ambitions. That is okay. You still get a variety of colourful lenses through which you can see your situation.
Take time to think through all of them. At some point, like crystal clear water flowing over rocks in the stream bed you will hear, “This is the way; walk in it2.” When that happens it will be music to your souls.
The one thing you need to remember is that you alone have to take the final decision and accept responsibility for it.
Finally, when you are convinced about the merit and goodness of your decision, act on it with courage. Don’t look back.
There still will be challenges and criticism, setbacks and failures. But that will not shake you because you had dealt with your doubts already.
So here are the 7 takeaways when you are in doubt about anything, especially about taking a decision on a future course of action.
#1. Wait.
#2. Ask God for wisdom.
#3. Get opinions from others.
#4. Think through.
#5. Take a decision.
#6. Act with courage.
#7. Don’t look back.
Have You Made the Most Important Decision of Your Life Yet?
These are simple things you can do when you are in doubt.
1 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him” — James 1:5 Bible NIV 1984.
2Isaiah 31:21 Bible