Making Good Decisions and Getting Over Bad Ones

TEXT: ESTHER 2:1-23

INTRODUCTION

Today let us look at five practical precepts for making good choices based on Esther chapter 2. We all make foolish decisions. Like King Xerxes in the first chapter of Esther. Remember last Sunday we saw three things to never do when you are angry, depressed or frustrated. Never, invest in anger, never borrow bitterness, never trade relationships.

But how do we make Good decisions? the Book of Esther is a great book about two kinds of people, people who make good decisions and people who do otherwise.

Life depends on the choices we make. Let us use the following basic rules in decision making:

1.Be cautious of advice from biased parties

• If you are buying something dont take everything the salesman tells you about the product
• Refuse to take advise from bitter people
• Getting advse from the wrong source leads to failure.

2. Don’t base decisions on outward appearances alone (5-7)

• The recommendations of the king advisors was basically pick the prettiest girl for your next queen (v3)
• The mantra of Hollywood and Madison Avenue is enemyactress, every model needs to be a “10”
• Gods word says beauty should come from within (1 Peter 3:3-4)
• The Lord, God looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7)

3. Consider the needs of others

• Mordecai adopted Esther as his own daughter when her parents died (V.2:10-11)
• Mordecai was really selfless, when it came to taking care of esther, even in exile
• His advice to estherwas seasoned with wisdom
• You dont have to tell everybody the details of who you are sapecially family and tribal background.

4. Do the right thing at the right time

• Timing is very important in good decision making
• Jews were hated by almost every other race.
• Mordecai tells esther, please “keep your ancestry private” It was not time to tell.
• It is easy to do the right thing at the wrong time
• Bad timing is usually a matter of impatience and gettingg a head  of Gods Timing.
• Learning good timing for decision making takes walking with God and trusting in His leadership.

Practice Teachability (2:5)

• Esther was teachable, before her uncle and before the kings chief eunuch
• Esther respected her seniors and learnt from them
• The quality that stands out most about esther is her teachability
• she was open to the advice of the kings chamberlain
• Choose the right  people from whom to take advice but practice teachability
• Choose people who love you and have proven their willingsness to make sacrifices for you like Mordecai did for esther.
• Choose people who have the experience in an area like esther chose kings chamberlain (james4:6, 1 peter 5:5) If we have made bad choices in life the way out is to repent and ask God for recovery plan.

CONCLUSION

• It is so Good to know that God doesn’t operate in ways as to give us second chances to make Good choices
• Let God work with you as to make new and better choices
• One of the most important choices, you will ever make in your life is to be saved by the grace of God through faith. Make a decision to grow and teach others.