The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions

by Emily P. Freeman

It doesn’t matter what the specific decision is. Unmade decisions hold power.

“We earnestly pray for the right ideal, for guidance in each questionable situation, for sanity, and for the strength to do the right thing.”

Rather than a life plan, a clear vision, or a five-year list of goals, the leper, the paralytic, and Jairus and his wife were given clear instructions by Jesus about what to do next—and only next.

Be willing to hold your choices with an open hand and see them from a different perspective.

The point is you becoming more fully yourself in the presence of God.

We are conditioned to believe the only reason we should do things is if we know why, where we are headed, and for what purpose. No wonder we have trouble making decisions. If we don’t have clear answers or sure things, then taking a big step feels like a risk at best and a wasteful mistake at worst.

Unmade decisions have the power to either close us up in fear or open us up to love.

I am never more open to advice, perspective, and other people’s opinions than when I have a decision to make. I’m never more aware of my need for God, for hope, and for direction than when I have to make a choice.

When the answers aren’t clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction.

the thing we often think is The Thing is often not the thing but is, in fact, only a thing.

we all have regular, seasonal input of stuff into our homes that comes by way of gifts, school papers, work projects, and various decorations depending on the celebration, but we don’t often have regular output.

Complexity has its place. But when our souls are filled with clutter, what is meant to be complex and awe-inspiring can become complicated and exhausting.

Becoming a soul minimalist does not mean that you should hold on to nothing but rather that nothing should have a hold on you.

Good decisions require creativity, and creativity requires space.

our life is filled with natural interruptions and distractions, and this is often where our real life happens. But there is a whole category of distraction we have control over, and that’s the stuff that comes from our phones.

Madeleine L’Engle says “our names are part of our wholeness. To be given a name is an act of intimacy as powerful as any act of love.”

Without a name, we can’t be specific. And there’s nothing fear likes more than non-specificity.

what we believe about God informs every aspect of our lives,

Because there is almost always a gap between what we say we believe and what we actually believe.

I can’t say how God will speak to you. But I can say with a fair amount of confidence how he won’t. He will not shame you into better behavior. He will not trick you. He will not tease you. He will not laugh at you. He will not terrorize you. He does not pull rugs out from under you. He does not drop the other shoe.

“You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

And hope is what keeps you going in the fog.

Logic and limits often get in the way of longing. And longing is key to our growth.

It’s important to be able to answer the question What do you really want? It can also be scary,

Dallas Willard, in his book The Divine Conspiracy, says “the most important thing about you is not the things you achieve but the person you become.”

Remember Jesus is not only your King and your Friend, your Savior and your Shepherd. He is also the smartest man who ever lived.

It’s possible to take cover even when there’s nothing to take cover from, except for a heavy idea or a recurring thought in the night.

If you are facing down a big decision in your life, perhaps your next right thing is to ask yourself the question, In this decision, am I being pushed by fear or led by love?

there might be a lot of good reasons to act or not to act, but don’t let fear be one of them.

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.

Desire is only toxic when we demand our desires be satisfied on our terms and in our timing. Knowing what we want and getting what we want are not necessarily the same thing.

Honor your design and image-bearing identity enough to be honest about what you want most.

Every yes you say affects every person who lives in your house.

chances are good that taking some time to admit what you most want could make the difference between a yes or a no, a now or a not yet, a here or a there.

Rather than chasing more, what if we discovered enough right where we are?

What does it mean when what was before you for so long is now behind you?

What does it say about you, your commitments, your choices, and your identity when that thing you worked so hard for no longer seems like a good fit?

You need a time of remembering, of being, of knowing you are not alone.

Sometimes saying no is your only gateway to the world of your most meaningful yes.

clarity cannot be rushed.