Navigating Decision-Making With the Holy Spirit This Holiday Season

Growing up, my dad’s stereo sat on our entertainment center. Rather than the digital displays and touch buttons on today’s car stereos, this behemoth boasted knobs and switches. The biggest knob was used to change the radio station. It required careful adjusting—too far left or right of the frequency and I’d get an earful of white noise rather than the beloved voices of Shania Twain or Garth Brooks. (Don’t judge my middle-school self too harshly if you’re not a country music fan; I grew up in the South after all!)

When we make decisions, especially the hard ones that feel overwhelming, we go to God asking for his guidance and help. Tuning into the voice of the Holy Spirit can sometimes feel like an attempt to tweak a radio knob this way and that hoping to land on the clear sound of God speaking to us. 

If your life looks anything like mine, you have a lot of decision-making coming up this fall and winter. Thanksgiving is around the corner, and we all know Christmas comes more quickly than we ever expect. Then there’s New Year’s celebrations, and for my family, four birthdays happen within this same timeframe. With no signs of the pandemic’s end in sight, there are many conversations in my house about how to safely gather.

For some, decisions about the holidays and celebrations will be decided by friends and family members. For others, the decisions fall on your shoulders either partly or entirely. As you navigate the discussions, details, and emotions surrounding the holidays this year, you may find yourself asking what the Bible says about decision-making.

As you navigate the discussions, details, and emotions surrounding the holidays this year, you may find yourself asking what the Bible says about decision-making. #decisionmaking #holidayseason Share on X

Paul’s Decision

In Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas in a jail cell after a public and unjust beating.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Acts 16:25-26 NIV

As I read this passage, I imagine my response to the supernatural events described here. A violent earthquake rocks the building so much that the chains and doors break open. What a marvelous rescue! In the same scenario, I expect I would have little doubt about God’s intent for my next decision. Walk out! Go free! The situation was certainly encouraging that course of action.

Here’s what Paul, Silas, and all the other prisoners did instead:

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

Acts 16:27-28 NIV

A few verses later we learn Paul and the others made the right decision by staying put. They remained in their cells, and as a result, the jailer and his whole family accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:34). 

How did Paul know which decision to make, even when all the circumstances encouraged him to walk out and instantly claim his freedom?

Pray Constantly

One clue comes from verse 25 which tells us that “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.” When the earthquake happened, they were already tuned in to the Holy Spirit’s voice. They weren’t frantically trying to adjust the metaphorical radio dial searching for God’s direction. Their decision came when they were sitting and singing in God’s presence and therefore better able to act in accordance with God’s plan—a plan which resulted in the salvation of a whole family.

Going back several verses in Acts, we see Paul and Silas praying throughout their lives and not just in the suffering of their jail cell.

• In Acts 16:6-10 we learn Paul was making decisions about where to travel in the world based on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 16:13 tells us Paul and his companions were seeking out “a place of prayer.”
• And again in Acts 16:16, Paul was once again “going to the place of prayer.”

Sometimes prayer looks like a quiet time devoted to conversation with the Lord. At other times, it looks like speaking to God in our minds about the events and people right in front us. As we work and play, let’s remember there is room to commune with God in our thoughts.

When we devote our lives to prayer by going to the Father regularly throughout our day, we are tuning into his voice. This builds our spiritual muscle memory for finding the right frequency on the radio dial. The more we listen, the more we recognize the distinctive tone and attributes of his guidance.

Wait on the Lord

If I were to guess how Paul felt during the earthquake that set him free, I would predict he experienced some mixture of shock, awe, fear, and joy. The times in my own life when I’m most likely to act or speak from my flesh rather than from trust in God is when strong emotions surprise me.

Paul and the prisoners sit and stay even when their emotions may have been urging them to act, jump up, or yell. We know they must have been quiet because when the prison guard saw the doors open, he prepared to kill himself. (This is because the punishment of the prisoners is transferred to the guard if the prisoners are allowed to escape.)

Paul saw a good gift in front of him—freedom—but because he waited on the Lord he was able to partake in an even better gift—the salvation of an entire household of people. 

We may be grieving the loss of good gifts—traveling to be with family, the gathering of neighbors and friends, and the traditions that go along with the holidays. Can we consider God may have a better gift in store this holiday season? A time to refocus our hearts on him. A way to serve those who are suffering. A creative approach to fellowshipping with God and people so we are reminded of the purposes behind the plans.

We may be grieving the loss of good gifts—traveling to be with family, the gathering of neighbors and friends, and the traditions that go along with the holidays. Can we consider God may have a better gift in store this holiday season? Share on X

Tuning in to Peace

I write this as a reminder to myself. Weeks ago, my husband and I started talking about party dates, picnic tables in place of dining rooms, and safety measures. I confess prayer was far from my mind. It’s easy for me to remember prayer when it comes to my children’s well-being or my own thoughts and worries. When it comes to practical planning, however, I’m much more likely to use a decision-making process that relies on logic, feelings, or the opinions of others rather than prayer. 

When we consider the events In Acts 16, we can be encouraged knowing the Holy Spirit—the same One who instructed Paul in a dark jail cell—is available to also guide us in our decision-making.

Today, whether we’re in the midst of a decision or not, let’s tune in to the Holy Spirit by praying and seeking his direction in our life. As we wait on the Lord, we confidently hold on to the hope of peace this holiday season. We’re able to stand on his promise of peace because he is with us even when our world looks different.

Are you making decisions about this holiday season? How can you tune into the Holy Spirit to help you make those decisions? I’d love to hear your struggles and ideas in the comments!