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Rector’s Reflections
Thursday 3rd April 2025
On Making Good Decisions
In the current series of reflections, we have been looking at the art of making good decisions - decisions which, while they may not be perfect, will be better than they might be perfect, will be better than they might otherwise have been. Down the centuries, Christians have accumulated much wisdom on this subject. We have seen that the general view is that when it comes to important issues, the best decisions are usually made in a group setting, although such gatherings have to be carefully managed so that they do not simply become a rubber-stamping exercise for the views of the most powerful. We have also seen that many Christians have benefited from seeking the advice of a wise and holy person, sometimes called a Spiritual Director or a Spiritual Friend. Such Spiritual Directors vary in their levels of skill and insight, but a good Spiritual Director is worth their weight in gold.
But what if these two possibilities are not available, or considered to be inappropriate in the particular circumstances of the case ? In such situations, Christians will need to rely heavily on their own resources. At times like these, we can of course pray earnestly to God for the wisdom to understand the situation we are facing, and to choose wisely from among the options available to us. But is there anything else which we might do to help us to make better decisions in our lives?
There are indeed various techniques and practices which Christians have found helpful when trying to make good decisions by ourselves, and without the help and support of others. We shall look at some of these in today’s reflections, and in the reflections which follow.
Many Christians have found it useful to engage in the decision making process in a spirit of trust and humility. Often we like to know the long term consequences of the decisions we take. We like certainty, and we like to plan ahead. This can make our decision taking much harder than it need to be. Instead of trying to guess how things will turn out in the medium or long term, which is a mug's game, let us focus instead on the immediate, asking ourselves: given the information currently available to us, what seems to make sense as the next step? We leave the ultimate result of our decisions in God's hands, and focus simply on taking the next step. This involves both trust and humility: trust in God that things will work out according to God's good plan; and the humility to limit our focus to something which is small and manageable, namely the question of what should be our next step.
This approach sees decision making as a journey. As human beings, our understanding and resources are limited. We cannot see the end of our journey. But we can see the ground that lies immediately in front of our eyes, and so we can see where it might make sense to place our feet as we take the next step. Once we have taken the next step, we are in a place to take the step which follows on from this. And so on. We progress step by step, and in due course, we will arrive safely at the destination God has in mind.
As I write these words, I am reminded of a poem written by one of the great spiritual writers and theologians of the 19th Century, John Henry Newman (1801-1890). The poem in question is “Lead, Kindly light, amid the encircling gloom" , and it used to be popular as a hymn. It is rarely sung nowadays, which I think is a great pity. The first verse reads as follows:
“Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me”.
Newman’s poem speaks powerfully of a combination of trust and humility. Weneed to trust that God is with us, leading us ever deeper into the mystery of his love and his truth. And we need the humility to follow His guidance one step at a time , not asking to ""see the distant scene”, but taking things step by step.
I wonder what you think about Newman’s approach?