Proper Decisions

There are plenty of situations in our life in which, at least apparently, we don’t have to take immediate decisions. So we can take our time, which may involve days, weeks, months, years and sometimes a whole lifetime to postpone taking up a good decision that is likely to change our life for better.

Most of us usually resent undecided people. If we are to think of our present-day family situation, or our future one, it is hard to imagine a healthy, sound family life in the company of a person that is continually undecided, no matter the problem or the situation. Life with such a person might seem impossible.

Now the question is, what about God? How does He see undecided people? For instance, people to whom He has presented the truth, in one way or the other, to whom He has shown that they are saved through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, to whom he has made the promise of the eternal life, yet to people who are undecided when it comes choosing God. People who are forever oscillating between their self-made poor hut and the glittering castle that awaits them in the eternal life that God offers to those who believe in his Son. Well, does God like such an attitude? Not in the least. The promised eternal life would be impossible with such people on God’s side. The book of Revelation warns us against this great peril: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21, 8)

Who was on top of the lost people’s list? The "cowardly", which are easily identifiable with the undecided. Of course, this fear does not refer to the natural fear one may feel when facing an unavoidable danger (such as a surgical operation, a mountain avalanche, a car accident, etc.). The fear that the Bible speaks about here is of a different nature, it’s about those who are afraid to assume a reaction, an attitude towards the truth, God and righteousness.

Here is an example in this respect, taken from 1 Emperors 18, 20-21: "So Ahab went word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing."

The great religious reform started by the prophet Elijah on the mountain of Carmel has started with a question: "How long will you waver between two opinions?" Or, in other words: "How long will you be undecided?" The metaphor Elijah uses here is quite suggestive. When someone goes limp, he uses the healthy leg, relying on it completely.

Of course, God would have many things to reproach to his people: idolatry (the 850 pagan priests were meant to instruct the people in the Baal sun-god worship rituals and in the Ishtar worship rituals), people’s disbelief, their failure to remember the miracles that had happened during the Exodus, trespassing the Divine Law, and so on. Still, God does not make any reproach to his people for these particular sins, He is angry at them rather for being so undecided.

"If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." - This is the solemn commend that the prophet Elijah made to the Jewish people. However, the people gave no reply. This has in fact proven their strong undecided spirit, which had taken over their entire human being.

We should also notice the fact that the people of Israel in the time of Elijah were a completely idolater people. The Holy temple of God was still there, yet abandoned. The Law was still among them, the Levites and the priests hadn’t left the country, and the prophet Elijah was still there, too. Nevertheless, this people were complete strangers to the truth, and, at the same time, were powerfully-drawn to pagan elements.

We too have this tendency of blindly choosing worldly things, while being undecided when it comes to God’s will. How about you?