The Final year is all about making decisions. What on earth to do next with my life? How to use my time best now? How to get the best out of my degree? How much time to spend with my friends? Where to go to church and how involved with CU I should be? It is the easiest thing in the world just to duck when the really big question marks appear in our lives - to go with the flow, or to avoid making decisions. Before we know it we're either a Chartered Accountant or we're still working in the local church coffee shop - and we've never bothered asking God for His opinion about what we should do with our lives.

The problem with life's big decisions is that they're daunting. They scare us or paralyse us into indecision. The good news is that as Christians we have the God of the universe taking a personal interest in the choices we have to make in life, so we're never stranded alone with our uncertainty.

So, where exactly do you go from here? With countless options before you, it's exciting...and daunting.  What's the best way forward?

Take a few moments to write down the decisions you need to make in the next few months.

Whatever you are feeling, it's important to know that, as Christians God doesn't call us to go it alone. He promises to be our guide, to show us the way forward (Ps 25:9, 32:8, Pr3:5-6). But how much guidance can we expect and how does God guide?

Let's look firstly at who our God is, so that we can begin to understand guidance.

GOD IS:

Sovereign: The Bible is clear that the Lord God is in charge of the past, present and future - and that means our futures too. In everything, He's working towards his ultimate purpose of bringing all things under the Lordship of Christ (Col 1)

He has a Plan for all creation both corporately and individually.

He is our Father, who created us, who knows the number of hairs on our heads, and who we can, by his grace, call "Abba" Father. He cares for us, individually working to bring us into Christ-like maturity. Christ is also our guiding Shepherd (John 10)

Our understanding of God as our Father and Jesus as our Shepherd must lead us to believe that God cares about every detail of our life. God gives us very clear direction in the Bible as to how we should make some decisions. Often in cases of morality we find answers clearly stated, but the problems for us come when we want answers on issues deeply important to us but not specifically handled in scripture. Decisions like where to live or what career to pursue.

God shows in the Bible that He can speak to His people in pretty much any way that He chooses, and there is nothing to prevent Him from doing the same with us. At the same time though, He tells us that the one way to be sure of knowing His will is for us to become people who prayerfully read His word, people whose minds are renewed in holiness[1], so that we can make godly decisions. We can do this in the certain knowledge that the Holy Spirit will inform our understanding of scripture, and that wise Christian friends will be able to help us if we're veering off track.

God's purpose for us is to bring us to greater maturity, and His desire is that we will persevere in faithfulness until the end of our lives.  He gives us an immense amount of freedom to make all our decisions, but at the same time He gives us the opportunity to make all these decisions with reference to Him and His perfect will for us. So in Proverbs 16.9 we read that "in our hearts we plan our course, but the Lord will (if we let Him) direct our steps."

Steps to making Wise Decisions

1. Pray! Pray! Pray! Absolutely essential.  Pray that if there is anything specific that God wants you to do, He will reveal it to you. Pray that He would give you wisdom if the choice is up to you (James 1:5). Include listening in your prayer time.

1. Search what God says in His Word about the decision you must make?

1. Seek the advice of others, particularly a mature Christian or your minister. No person is an island.

1. Quiz yourself as you look at your options. Where can I serve God best? Is there a good Bible teaching church nearby? What opportunity will make the most of my gifts and abilities? Where do my interests lie? How will I keep going as a Christian?

1. Be honest: Check your motives and assess why you are leaning in a particular direction. Write it down to share with a Christian friend. Do you want a certain job because it is well-paid and good street cred? If so, how will you avoid giving into the temptations it will bring?

1. Set time aside - often we end up rushing big decisions because we allow all the little stuff of life to get in the way. If you're going to follow a biblical model like Acts 15, it will take time, and quietness to pray, read and listen to the advice of others.

1. Decide to decide and Trust God with the commitment you have made and serve Him in it.

Making decisions is often all consuming but we need to be careful. In his excellent book, In search of Guidance Willard writes: "Our concern for guidance must be overwhelmed by and lost in our worship and adoration of God and in our delight with his creation and his redemptive provision". Guidance is simply one part of our intimate relationship and walk with God and all guidance flows from this relationship. If we are loving God and seeking His kingdom (Matt 6:33) we can rest assured that we are in the centre of His plan and bang in the middle of his best for us.

[1] Romans 12.1-2