Tools for Monday: How to Discern What is the Good and Right Thing to Do (Part 4)
Before diving into conversation about goals, duties, and virtues, let’s do a quick review of what we’ve discussed so far in our decision-making blog series.
We’ve acknowledged that decision-making can be quite confusing at times. Consider, for instance, when you have to decide between two bad outcomes! What do you do? And what about those serious decisions that may result in pain for a loved one or for yourself? Let’s face it, sometimes our decisions are not so clear-cut.
But we’ve learned that God does not want us to be in the dark! Withdrawing from God and others will make crucial decisions that much more stressful. Jesus has promised his presence with us at all times (Matthew 28:20). He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). Therefore, we can be confident that Jesus can and will help us in transformative ways through even very difficult decisions and problems. But how?
Popular decision-making schemes in our culture may have some appeal. Granted, we can and should be open to those helps out there which maintain continuity with biblical precedents. Some decision-making helps of the world, however, can lead us down the wrong road. For instance, many popular ways teach that we should depend on some sort of intuition or impersonal laws of nature in order to handle our problems well. But if these ways fail to orbit around God, then they are not going to work quite right for us. Remember, we start decision-making not with a law but with a relationship with God. We start by asking God, “What are you doing in this situation, and how can I be involved in this work?”
This is where the three tools of goals, duties, and virtues become quite helpful. These three tools help us to ascertain what God is doing around us and how he is involved even in complex and chaotic situations. Let’s define the three tools and then discuss how they can help us make good, God-centered decisions.
A goal is a point toward which you look with hope and expectation. For instance, the goal for a runner is to break the tape at the finish line. The New Testament word for goal is “telos,” which refers to a point ahead of us towards which we are striving. A good goal in general for us is to be like Jesus. That goal will help guide our actions even in confusing times.
It is important for us to remember here that God’s nature and character is love. Therefore, whatever God wills for us is ultimately for our good. Even in confusing situations, we can trust that God is doing all he can to will us towards his loving goals for us. This is why our relationship with God, molded by prayer and enforced by the Bible, will lead us to understand better and better what God’s goals for us really are.
A duty is that which I am under obligation to do. It is that which is right. Even though human situations and decisions can be complex, we have certain duties to uphold. But how do we know what our duty is? We can trust that God will shed his light through the Holy Spirit on our situations. The Christian ethicist, T.B. Maston, hit the nail on the head when he said that there are three main lights from God that illuminate our duties. First, there is light from above, or that light that we receive through our prayer and relationship with God. Second, there is light from the word of God. This means that we can trust what God says to us is truthful and trustworthy. God will never contradict himself. Third, we have light from others. God has gifted us with godly friends and counselors who can help us untie the knots of complex problems and decisions.
A virtue is more than just a positive characteristic of someone’s personality. In biblical terms, a virtue is a habit of one’s will who is seeking first the kingdom of God. Virtues are those godly, Spirit-oriented behaviors that will be consistent even in very difficult and trying situations. For instance, biblical virtues include things like the downplay or elimination of pride, humility, forgiveness, and mercy. Paul’s discussion of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5 is particularly helpful. Remember, however, that virtues don’t come about simply because we try harder at being better people. Virtues become ingrained habits as we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Christianity is not an outside-in religion. It’s an inside-out transformative faith.
So, how do we use these three tools in specific ways and in specific situations? Let’s talk more about it next time!