The Christian Leader's Guide to Making Decisions

Summary

The video script discusses making decisions from a Christian perspective, emphasizing the importance of aligning choices with biblical principles. It introduces the use of a decision tree to guide ethical decision-making, suggesting four key questions: legality, impact on people (servanthood test), organizational performance (stewardship test), and discerning God's will in resolving tensions between servanthood and stewardship. The speaker advocates for a balanced approach, integrating prayer and discernment to ensure decisions reflect both the character of Jesus and the broader good of the organization.

Takeaways

• 😇 Decision-making from a Christian perspective should be guided by biblical principles, even in leadership and management roles.
• 🌳 A decision tree is a useful tool for Christian leaders to systematically approach decision-making, ensuring it aligns with faith values.
• 🚫 The first question to ask is whether an option is legal, as breaking the law is generally against Christian principles, with rare exceptions.
• 🙌 The 'servanthood test' is crucial, asking if the decision respects and meets the needs of stakeholders, treating all as children of God.
• 🛠 The 'stewardship test' follows, ensuring that decisions also consider the broader organizational performance and God-given resources management.
• 🔄 Balancing servanthood and stewardship is a key challenge for Christian leaders, as both ideals are important and sometimes conflict.
• 🤔 When faced with a conflict between servanthood and stewardship, discernment from God is essential to resolve the tension.
• 🙏 Prayer and discernment should permeate every step of the decision-making process, seeking God's guidance in difficult choices.
• 🛑 If an option fails the servanthood or stewardship test but is discerned to be God's will, it may still be the right decision.
• 🔄 Christian leaders must navigate moral ambiguity, often choosing between two 'rights' rather than simply right and wrong.
• 🔮 The decision-making model should not rely solely on a flowchart but on a deep, humble, and patient discernment of God's will.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of using a decision tree in a Christian decision-making process?

A decision tree is used to slow down the decision-making process, bringing circumspection and generating creative options that might be missed without its use, ensuring decisions are made in a way that aligns with biblical principles.

Why is it important for Christians in leadership to consider the legal aspect of their decisions?

It is important because the Bible teaches to submit to earthly authority, and breaking the law is generally not in line with Christian principles, except in rare cases where a higher moral law may dictate otherwise.

What is the 'servanthood test' and why is it significant in Christian decision-making?

The 'servanthood test' evaluates the impact of decisions on people, asking if one can envision Jesus treating them in the same way. It is significant as it reflects the Christian value of servanthood and the belief that all people are children of God, deserving love and respect.

How does the concept of stewardship relate to Christian leadership in decision-making?

Stewardship in Christian leadership means managing God-owned resources in accordance with His will, aiming to sustain and grow the organization entrusted to them, reflecting the belief that everything belongs to God and leaders are merely stewards.

What is the potential pitfall of focusing too much on stewardship in Christian leadership?

Focusing too much on stewardship could lead to neglecting the needs of individual stakeholders, which contradicts the Christian principle of servanthood and the need to balance both ideals in decision-making.

What should a Christian leader do when faced with a decision that seems to conflict with both servanthood and stewardship?

In such cases, a Christian leader should engage in prayer and discernment to seek God's guidance on resolving the tension between servanthood and stewardship, ensuring that decisions align with biblical values.

Why is discernment crucial when ideals like servanthood and stewardship seem to conflict?

Discernment is crucial because it allows leaders to seek a deeper understanding of God's will, ensuring that decisions are not hastily made but are grounded in a humble and patient search for divine guidance.

What is the rationale behind the four questions suggested for evaluating decisions from a Christian perspective?

The rationale is to ensure that decisions are legal, positively impact people (servanthood test), enhance organizational performance (stewardship test), and are made with discernment from God, particularly when there is a tension between servanthood and stewardship.

Can you provide an example of a decision that might pass the servanthood test but fail the stewardship test?

An example could be giving away expensive products to those in need, which aligns with servanthood but might not enhance organizational performance in the short term.

How should Christian leaders approach decisions where there is no clear overlap between servanthood and stewardship?

They should seek to affirm both ideals, looking for decisions that pass both tests, and when no overlap is found, they should engage in deeper discernment to find a resolution that aligns with God's will.

What does the script suggest as the ultimate approach to decision-making for Christian leaders?

The ultimate approach is to marinate every step of decision-making in prayer and discernment, seeking God's direction on a case-by-case basis, and moving forward only when confident that the decision aligns with biblical principles.