Six Principles That Make a Decision a Quality Decision

More Than A Decision…

Six Principles that Make a Decision “a Quality Decision”

Foundation for a Quality Decision

Heb 13:5-6 “… He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] [Josh. 1:5.] (6) So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? [Ps. 27:1;118:6.]

1. Respect

Heb 11:23-27 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. (24) By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; (25) Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (26) Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. (27) By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Greek - ἀποβλέπω apoblepō – Thayer Greek Definitions - “To turn one’s eyes away from everything else, and fix them on some one thing.”Strong’s Concordance - to look away from everything else, that is, (figuratively) intently regard.

2. Esteem

Greek - ἡγέομαι hēgeomai – “To deem, account, strengthened form of lead, chief, governor, judge, rule over, forcefully favor in the balance [to prioritize].”

3. Choose

Greek - αἱρέομαι aihreomai - “To take for oneself.” Hebraism - (compare) נסה נשׂא nâśâ' nâsâh – “to lift, literally and figuratively, absolutely and relatively: - take with the hand, carry away.”

4. Refuse

Greek - ἀρνέομαι arneomai – “To disavow, deny, contradict, abnegate (to give up or renounce).”

5. Forsake

Greek – καταλείπω kataleipō - “To leave behind, abandon.”

The Voyage and Shipwreck of Apostle Paul

(Painting by H. Smartly – 1880)

Act 27:30-32 “Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow. (31) Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down." (32) So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off.”

6. Endure

Greek – καρτερέω kartereō - “To be strong, steadfast” – Latin (Compare) “To be hard a steel (unyielding, persistent, committed, dedicated).

Walk in Space – results of unyielding and persistent dedication

First three principles of a quality decision are mental (within the heart):

(1) Respecting (2 ) Esteeming (3) Choosing

Second three principles require physical decisional actions (from the heart):

(4) Refusing (5) Forsaking (6) Enduring

In our Hebrews 11:24-27 scripture, Moses had (1) respect for the recompense of the reward – He caught a clear vision of its worth. This respect gave him the ability to distinguish the “reward,” obscuring any prior competing desires.

The respect obtained led to his (2) esteeming something greater than any desire for “the riches of Egypt,” weighing all other contending elements in a balance (to prioritize it), i.e. the ultimate fulfillment of a willingness to be “reproached for Christ’s sake,” rivaling a desire for “the riches of Egypt.” (Speaking figuratively - Moses reproach was for Israel, not Christ, yet the writer is attempting to use a contextual license analogous for his thought.)

Once the two elements of his decision were concretely established, Moses could now take step (3) choosing to “suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy sin for a season.” (Again speaking figuratively of “sin,” as sin was not the actual competing influence under consideration; rather it was the alternative of being able to take his ease, remaining on the backside of the desert with Zipporah”)

Now that the choice was made, Moses would be responsible to go into action with his decision. You might say that he had only made ½ of his decision, completing the mental part!

To complete his decision he (4) refused any possible return to Egypt in the role of “Son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” To obey God’s call he must reenter Egypt as Pharaoh’s adversary, commanding him, “let God’s people go!” In order to accept God’s call, he would be forced to refuse any option of ever returning peacefully to Egypt, to his former palace home, or to his adopted mother.

As he took this action he literally (5) forsook Egypt, he forsook reconciliation with Pharaoh, he permanently forsook his inherited Egyptian culture and society.

Once he had gone this far in his decision, he would be forced to (6) endure with nothing in his vision except “Him who is invisible.” He would endure the challenges made by Pharaoh and his counselors. He would endure the disappointments of deadlines unheeded prior to God’s judgment of plagues. He would endure the elders of Israel considering stoning him to death because of the greater hardships placed upon the Hebrew slaves. This final rest of his decision would need to be constantly reinforced by rehearsing steps 1 – 3 of his decision-making process.

That which he respected, esteemed and chosen would served as the key to the quality of his endurance. Hebrews 6:11-12 “But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end, (12) In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.”

When it is Important to Use the Power of a Quality Decision

1. To gain power over and defeat a negative influence or trait.

2. To build a foundation for the successful completion of a positive goal.

3. To make hard decisions between two positive choices, or where it is not clear what is best.