Leaders are decision makers whether they want to be or not.

Each day, you as a leader are making decisions that will have significant impact on the direction of your ministry or project.

  • Should I take the time to follow up with that networking lead I heard about?
  • How much money should I budget here? What kind of resources should I assign there?
  • How do I approach this struggling employee? What’s the answer to our growth struggles… and on and on.

The question is, in your leadership how are those decisions being made? What are your guiding principles? Where are you finding much needed counsel and wisdom?

Whose leadership will you follow?

The first choice any leader makes in decision-making is whether to rely on their own insights or on God’s wisdom. People don’t naturally do things God’s way because they don’t think like God does (see Psalm 118:8). In the end, God doesn’t want people attempting to do what they think is best, but rather what God knows is best. With that said, no amount of reasoning or intellectual discovery will uncover God’s will. God Himself must reveal it. Therefore, it is critical that leaders seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as they make decisions and lead their ministries. [1]

My encouragement for each of us today is to consider the role the Holy Spirit must take in our decision-making process. If we want to be leaders that lead with integrity, wisdom, and conviction, we must seek first to be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a reminder, here are four ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us in our decision-making:

1) Through the Bible

This one seems easy, and yet I believe many of us take it for granted. Godly leaders recognize their dependence on God and thus seek to regularly fill their mind and heart with His word. When a leader immerses themselves in the Bible, they will begin to think and act according to the biblical principles they are reading.

God’s word tells us what to do and what not to do. He even exhorts us to consume (eat) His word so that it actually can become part of us. “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16).

The Bible is our nutrients for decision-making. Is God’s word a reference point for the daily decisions in your life?

2) Through other people

Proverbs 19:20 says, “Hear counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.” This doesn’t mean we’re supposed to follow every bit of advice that comes our way. We should test everything against the word of God for confirmation.

However, it is important to understand that sometimes God uses a parent, friend, teacher, or preacher to convey His truth to us (if you are lucky, He could even use a donkey – Numbers 22:28), and their words may come as a warning, blessing, or even a prophetic truth for our ministry.

Thus, as leaders, it is essential to surround ourselves with godly counselors and to give them the freedom to speak directly and openly to us.

“Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance” (Proverbs 11:14). “Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22).

3) Through our circumstances

Henry Blackaby in the book “Spiritual Leadership” says it best:

“Leaders are never merely the victims of their circumstances. Wise leaders watch for God’s activity in the midst of their experiences. Just as God speaks by His Holy Spirit through the Bible and through other people, so God can send clear messages to leaders through their experiences.”

Whether it be a random encounter at the market, an unusual comment by a co-worker, or an email that comes as a surprise, God can use our circumstances to speak to us and move us towards His will. A good leader will take such experiences and astutely evaluate these “coincidences” against what they have been praying about and reading in God’s word to see if these are God’s answers to their prayers. [1]

Maybe God is using some circumstances in your life to speak to you?

4) Through our fasting and prayer

Perhaps the most significant way in which the Holy Spirit leads us in our decision-making is through prayer and fasting.

Fasting is simply abstaining from something (food or media, for instance) for the sake of feeding our spirit. It’s a way of hearing God’s voice more clearly. When our flesh is weakened, our spirit is more sensitive to the Spirit of God.[2] As leaders, fasting should be an essential avenue through which we seek to consider God’s will for the major decisions we face.

Likewise, Prayer is the leader’s connection with the One who promised, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). A major aspect of prayer is asking God what He wants us to do – what His will is – and then listening for His answers.

James 1:5 says:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

The Holy Spirit as our compass

Leaders who lead without the Holy Spirit are like ship captains without a compass; they can make their best guesses at which course to take, but they have no assurance they are heading the right way. While we all recognize the importance God plays in leading our ministries, I hope this is an encouragement for you to intentionally consider how you are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you in your decision-making process.

Growth Point:

Godly leaders seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in their decision-making process.

Scripture Point:

Read Psalms 25:4-5. How does this verse encourage you in your leadership?

Action Point:

Take 30 minutes this week to be alone with the Lord. Ask God to be your compass in decision-making. Read, pray, and consider Psalms 25:4-5. Make a point this week to pause and consider God’s ways as much as needed before making major decisions.

If  you enjoyed this post, here are some more articles you may find helpful:

Is This Risk I’m Taking Faith or Foolishness?

Success and a New Measuring Stick

[1] Blackaby, Henry and Richard. “Spiritual Leadership”. Tennessee: Nashville, 2011. 221-225. Print.

[2] https://www.jashow.org/articles/general/ways-god-reveals-his-will-to-us/

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/8-ways-god-speaks-to-us-today.html

http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/27171-4-ways-god-reveals-his-plan-for-you