Acts 18:4-6

Life is full of tough decisions, and we cannot avoid them by following Jesus.  Sometimes God will make the decision for us, but I believe that is the exception and not the rule. God does not normally work that way.  The Holy Spirit guides us in making our decisions; he does not dictate our decisions.

One of the hardest decisions we have to make is where to focus our efforts.  We cannot do everything, everywhere, every time.  This was true for Paul from the very beginning of his ministry.  For every town he stopped in, he passed straight through many others.  He consistently went to the Jews first with the gospel.  However, as time passed they organized their opposition and when he arrived at Corinth many had already made up their minds.  They were not willing to listen to the gospel with hearts and minds seeking truth; instead they were immediately abusive.

Their response forced Paul to make a decision.  Should he continue going first to the Jews, or should he focus upon taking the gospel to the gentiles?  Paul had to make his decision the same way we make ours.

Our hearts and or minds influence every decision we make.  We consider a person who never listens to their emotions to be heartless, and a person who follows their emotions without thinking to be mindless.  God does not want Christians to be either.  He wants us to be both wise and caring.  Paul was a Jew and he loved his people. He longed for their salvation, but he recognized that they were hardening their hearts.  Paul’s heart and mind were in conflict.  The Holy Spirit guided him, and this time he made a decision based on reason and logic.  He took his ministry to the gentiles.

We all have decisions to make.  Should we listen more to our hearts or our minds?  Every decision is different, and we each tend toward one extreme or the other.  We must listen to the Holy Spirit; He will keep us balanced.