It’s true. The word consider was just that early in my faith walk—a word. Fast-forwarding my life story ends up with a much different result. I’ll unpack that now, starting with Webster’s definition:
“Think carefully about something, typically before making a decision.”
OK, fair enough. We all do that countless times every day. But for believers, the real definition of CONSIDER is all about JESUS—to focus on him, look to him, to learn about him, and to be consumed by him. Put simply, Jesus is the object of the verb CONSIDER.
Here are just a few examples of how the word CONSIDER appears in God’s Word:
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” Psalm 119:15
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5
“Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” Luke 8:18
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24
My Love God Fear Nothing (LGFN) ministry has the word CONSIDER running through it as a powerful tool that informs, animates, and influences the decisions I make every day. It acts as a trigger for me to pause and put important choices and decisions through a filter that can dramatically change the course of that moment, that day, perhaps a lifetime.
That approach generates important and insightful snapshots of my spiritual growth, in the moment, and over time. My spiritual growth accelerates and deepens.
After using this CONSIDER decision-making technique over and over again, I have learned that getting “good at it” does not lessen its utility and value. In fact, we still need it—especially need it–when we’ve made the right choice many times in the past and want to avoid a slip in the present.
Once this compelling definition of CONSIDER took root in my life, it became clear that it needed to be followed by some kind of action—to change something or do something.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James: 2:17
The action part of life is always a bit scary and certainly an ongoing challenge. For me, I move past my fears and risks with three words–Discern; Decide, Do:
- DISCERN: This prompts me to CONSIDER what God is telling me on a daily basis.
- DECIDE: This speaks to a SPECIFIC decision that I can make from the discernment.
- DO: This is the step needed to ACTIVATE movement beyond my initial “consideration.”
How about you? What would happen if you CONSIDERED how God would have you approach the important decisions you need to make in your life?
