Principles of Decision Making

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. (Matthew 4:1-11 NASB)

In his book "Man in the Mirror", Patrick Morley used the three temptations of Christ to derive three principles of effective decision making.

The first principle is to live by the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). Being familiar with the word of God is very important in our decision making.

The second principle is not to put God to test (Matthew 4:7). We should not put ourselves into a position whereby only a miracle of God can save us. "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; and he said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the company which is left shall escape (Genesis 32:7-8 NASB)." He used the means that he judged to be the best under the existing circumstances, and I believe that God intends us always to use our best wits and judgment, and then to fall back upon him in confiding prayer just as if we had done nothing at all. Do everything as if God were not about to help you, and then trust in God as if you had done nothing at all. An Arab said to Mahomet, “I let my camel run loose, and trusted it to Providence,” but Mahomet replied, “You should have tied it up first, and then trusted it to Providence;” and Jacob was very much of that mind and a very sensible mind it was, not at all inconsistent with the very best of faith (Expositions by C. H. Spurgeon on Genesis 32).

The third principle is worship God and serve Him only (Matthew 4:10). We must always question our motives to see if our decision would glorify God.