DECIDE SMART: HEART-O-METER

Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I PERCEIVE that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” Acts 27:9-10

REFERENCE
Acts 27:9-26

One sure way to make smart decisions as a Christian is to listen to your ‘sanctified’ heart. The spirit of God dwells in your heart, He is your inner witness and He is there like an umpire who blows ‘foul’ and arbitrates in matters that may seem unclear to you. Sometimes you are faced with a decision to do something, and though everything looks right and everybody seems fine with it, deep within your heart, you just don’t have the urge to go ahead because you don’t have peace in your heart about it.

Most times, when you are about to make a wrong decision, you lose the peace of God. Hence, you should always think of the peace of God like your referee when you make decisions; when your heart is ‘agitated,’ simply back out from the decision, because it will most likely lead to disaster…or you could simply pause and take more time to pray.

Paul ‘perceived in his heart’ that the voyage they were about to embark upon would end in disaster, so he alerted the Centurion in charge of the voyage. However, the Centurion ignored his warnings because the Helmsman and the majority who were expert sailors told him all was well. Unknown to them, Paul’s heart-o-meter read ‘danger’ because of the prompting of the Holy Spirit. But for the grace of God on Paul’s life, that voyage would have ended in disaster.

I once had an encounter with a young guy who claimed to be a medical student (he even had an ID card) in one of the Nigerian Universities. This guy told me he was an orphan; his guardian at the time had money issues, he couldn’t go back to school because he hadn’t paid his fees and he was desperate because he was at the point of writing his clinical exams. I was touched by his story and decided to assist him with his fees, but when I reached into my drawer to get my checkbook, the reading on my ‘heart-o-meter’ was RED: CAUTION.

That was the Holy Spirit’s way of telling me to be careful. So, I paused and decided to ask further questions, only to discover that his entire story was false. The young guy was not even a student. I would have been scammed if I hadn’t listened to my heart (spirit)…and to think that the guy met me in a church.

Your heart (spirit) is God’s lamp in your life. When you have to make a decision, it shines light on your motives, your fears, your ignorance, things you are yet to consider, and it even illuminates certain Scriptures in your heart to guide you. Therefore, let the Holy Spirit guide your heart in all your decisions – ask Him to lead you always. The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. Before you go ahead with that decision, check your ‘HEART-O-METER.’

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Proverbs 20:27, John 16:13-15, & Colossians 3:15 (AMP).

PRAYER POINTS

+ Pray for a sensitive heart: to know what the Spirit is saying to you as you make decisions.

+ Ask the Holy Spirit to arbitrate in the issues in your heart that are unclear to you today.