What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

How many times do you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to do? You don’t know which decision to make, and you spend so much of your time analyzing and trying to make the very best choice. We try to “think” our way through decisions based on our knowledge. But how can we be sure our decision is rooted in wisdom?

My daughter is about to finish her junior year of high school. She doesn’t know what profession or field of study she wants to pursue after graduation. She is beginning to feel the pressure to make a decision because applications she fills out ask about her plans. I could tell she was worried about not knowing what to do.

Finally, I told her, “You don’t have to know right now what you want to do. And the best thing you can do is ask God to give you wisdom; to guide your steps; to close doors that aren’t right for you; to open doors of opportunity where you are meant to be.”

I could tell she was relieved by hearing this. We often “know” in our hearts that God will direct us if we rely on Him, but it’s hard for our heads to not want to figure things out on our own.

Making wise decisions requires trusting and relying on God.

What is wisdom? The Bible says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10

To gain true wisdom, we must have great respect and reverence for God. We must honor Him by following His Word and place our trust in Him.

When we realize God is above all things and knows all things, we can trust that He knows what’s best for our lives. We can rely on His Word for wisdom.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Like my daughter, when you’re struggling with a decision and aren’t sure what to do, ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to help you. His Word never fails.

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

James 1:5

Probably the hardest aspect of making wise decisions is being patient and waiting for God to answer. But God gives us this command in Psalm 37:7, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”

It’s hard to be patient when we need an answer. But being patient shows God that we trust Him. Even when we don’t understand why things happen, or why it doesn’t seem as if He is answering us, we can trust that His way and His timing are perfect.

We also have this promise in Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.”

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To make wise decisions, we must seek the Lord.

“For the Lord gives wisdom.” Proverbs 2:6