How to Make Good Decisions

Copyright © 2014 Mack King Carter Ministerial Enterprises.

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ISBN: 978-1-4525-8910-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-8912-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-8911-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013923433

Balboa Press rev. date: 4/2/2014

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1     Identify Your Passion

Chapter 2     Follow Good Advice

Chapter 3     Stay in Positive Surroundings

Chapter 4     Make Sure Your Decision Will Bring Glory to God

Chapter 5     Weigh Your Options

Chapter 6     Prepare Before You Take Action

Chapter 7     Move Out in Faith

Chapter 8     Call Time Out if Necessary

Chapter 9     Make Sure You Can See Clearly

Chapter 10   Practice Patience

Chapter 11   Never Sacrifice Your Priorities

Chapter 12   Evaluate What You Have Done

Conclusion   A Call to Action

Afterword: A Special Message from Patricia Carter

Other books by Mack King Carter:

To Calvary and Beyond (1988)

A Catechism for Baptists (1990)

A Quest for Freedom (1993)

Interpreting the Will of God (2002)

Bible Versions

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

FOREWORD

Wisdom, while often neglected, is a marvelous benefit guaranteed to the people of God. I have personally found my most egregious errors evident when I evaded this wonderful treasure. The word points us to providence, directly from God Himself as well as through the men and women He ordains. Just as Moses received instruction from Jethro, we, too, have that access from a truly astute and seasoned man of God in the person of Dr. Mack King Carter.

In this manuscript, we get an opportunity to receive established purpose and fortified confidence from the safety of counsel. Dr. Carter’s scholarship in the scriptures ushers the reader into his absolutely profound mastery of biblical application. It is indeed an honor and a privilege to apprentice with this most prolific pundit. I know that you will profit from this prophet who has successfully traversed through and triumphed in a disciplined life, all to the compliment of his decision-making capabilities.

Bishop Victor T. Curry, D. Min., D. Div.

Founding Senior Pastor, New Birth Baptist Church

Senior Pastor, Greater St. Ruth Missionary Baptist Church

Moderator, Progressive Kingdom Baptist Association

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is dedicated to all of the spiritual tributaries that have watered my mind. I first pay homage to my wife, Patricia Thomas Carter, who has been a source of strength to me for over 40 years. She is a woman who merges the streams of academia and the ecclesiastical and is my oasis in the desert.

Also, I give recognition to my grandmother, the late Lula Johnson (1881-1960). At the onset of my life, my grandmother, who had an enormous insight into the Sacred Writ, spoke of God. My grandmother was as passionate about God as the 18th-century Scottish minister Ebenezer Erskine. The British philosopher David Hume was an agnostic who hung on to every word that Erskine uttered. When asked why he attended Erskine’s church when he didn’t believe most of what the minister said, Hume’s answer was: "I go because he believes it. He speaks as if God was standing at his elbow." Such a woman was my grandmother—powerful in prayer and familiar with the scriptures.

I honor my parents, Mr. Frank Carter, Sr. (1898- 1973), and Mrs. Modlea Carter (1901-1996). I was blessed to have had at home parents who were disciplinarians, but always for the sake of correction. They meant and mean everything to me. They took care of us as we grew up in Ocala, Florida. They were there for me educationally, spiritually, and for the living out of my faith on a daily basis. I am grateful for the love and support of my sisters, Mary Ruth Christian (1922-1999), and Geraldine Robinson (1945-1980); and my brother, Frank Carter, Jr., (1937-2011); my daughters, Annalisa Melton and Pamela L. Johnson; my son-in-law, Edward Franklin Johnson; and my two grandchildren, Brittany Nicole Robinson and Carter Nathaniel Johnson.

To the ministerial influences in my life: Rev. C.H. Rhodes (1867-1969); A.D. Lonon (1907-1978) of New Bethel Baptist Church, who baptized, licensed, and ordained me into the gospel ministry; Dr. G.E. Weaver (1921-2005), my predecessor at the New Mount Olive Baptist Church (What a great preacher he was! He was an equally good man.); Dr. George A. Buttrick (1892-1980), one of the greatest preachers in the world during the 20th century in the United States of America. He pastored the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church of New York City and was later Dean of Chapel at Harvard University (Cambridge); the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. (1899-1984), who installed me at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in 1983 and was a friend of mine; Louis Napoleon Anderson (1880-1974) and the Rev. Oliver Van Pinkston (1906-2002), from whom I have received great sluices of spiritual wisdom; and the Rev. J. E. McCrary of the Hopewell Baptist Church of Ocala, Florida (1913-1982), who was one of the South’s greatest evangelists.

To such men as Bishop Victor T. Curry of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International, who has been like a younger brother to me down through the years. Since 2009, he has been our pastor, and what a joy it has been to be a member of the New Birth Fellowship. He is a man of enormous ecclesiastical gifts and one who is a constant blessing as I travel the path of a pilgrim.

To Dr. Marcus Davidson of the New Mt. Olive Baptist Church, who serves as my successor. He is skilled in proclamation as he guides the ship toward its destined horizon.

To all of the churches who have intersected my life down through the years: the Shady Grove Baptist Church (near Ocala, which my parents first attended when they moved to Ocala); Calvary Baptist Church (near Ocala, the first church that I attended as a child, and pastored from 1966-1970); Watula Baptist Church (Ocala from 1966-1970); St. John Baptist Church of Ocala from 1970-1974; Greencastle Baptist Church of Prospect, Kentucky from 1975-1981; New Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where I was assigned for 27 years (from 1982-2009).

Finally, my heartfelt appreciation goes to the people without whom this book would not have been possible: Mrs. Gwen Elliott, for her constant loyalty as my secretary at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church; and Mrs. Tawnicia Ferguson Rowan, my writing partner and editor.

INTRODUCTION

This book is a socio-historical, theological work looking at basic principles for making good decisions. It draws from Biblical examples and other historical illustrations. My purpose is to reach a broad spectrum of people, from the classroom to the boardroom and beyond, to educate and inspire readers to base their decisions on principles—not emotions or traditions.

I am motivated to write this book because, having served as a pastor for 47 years, I have seen many instances in people’s lives where simply making the right decision would have made all the difference in the world. Sometimes, even when people know they are in a bind, they don’t know which way to move. This book aspires to provide some of the insights and advice that can help them successfully navigate the obstacles they confront.

This book is about the pain of making good decisions. The word decision is a medical picture of the separation of flesh from the bone. This in itself sends a poignant message of enormous responsibility in making good decisions. But we cannot live in a state of perpetual paralysis. We must make a decision, no matter how much it upsets our neurotic equilibrium. Sometimes our decisions will be good, and other times they may be horrible.

Indecision is an omen for failure. The decision not to make a decision is a decision that leads to nowhere. Many a pastor has discovered that Paradise turns to Hell when they have to make decisions. Sometimes members will leave when the pastor has to make a decision that the congregation perceives as being against them.

Again, let us remember that every time we make a decision, a surgery has taken place. The flesh falls to one side, and the bones fall to the other side. Ouch! Any time there is cutting, there is pain. Just to think about this conjures up the reality of how painful decision-making can be. No wonder we often shy away from the act.

What are some keys to unlocking the door to our theme? The chapters contained in this book are the launching pads that reveal the main ingredients from a socio-historical-Biblical perspective.

Chapter 1 posits the premise that it is impossible to make good decisions without having a passion for what you are attempting to do.

In Chapter 2, I encourage you to get sound advice from various sources. No one can make good decisions in a vacuum.

Chapter 3 explores the importance of staying in positive surroundings. This does not mean that you must live a cloistered life; rather, I am saying that your lifestyle must allow your decision-making to be guided by introspection.

Chapter 4 is valuable because it underscores what is most important, and that is the Glory of God. Life is never really about us; it is ultimately about God.

Chapter 5 is making the case that since the decision-making process carries such a multi-faceted goal, we must not find ourselves locked into a situation where one size fits all. We must decide whether something may be good now but not tomorrow. And we must weigh our options to determine where we stand in any given situation.

Chapter 6 is a common-sense approach to the depth of sincerity that must be at the heart of every decision. Once your decision has been made, preparation is the next step. If you take action without prior preparation, there is a strong possibility that you will not succeed. A plan may not necessarily be written in concrete, but it should at least be written in your conscious mind.

Chapter 7 embraces one of the foundational pillars of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Faith in a Biblical-theological sense is not talking about some emotional hocus-pocus. No, faith is about standing on the promises and the power of God in spite of situations and circumstances. Faith is necessary because everything that we embrace in the decision-making process cannot be determined by what we see with our physical eyes.

Chapter 8 is a very practical key for unlocking the principle of decision-making. So much confusion could be eradicated if we took the time to decide that the time clock is running out and we do not know what to do. So it stands to reason that calling time out may save the day.

Chapter 9 speaks about seeing not with the optic nerve, but seeing with the eyes of God. If the best approach was always obvious, and everything was clear, then we wouldn’t really have to make decisions. But that is not the case. So we must hone our spiritual perception. Seeing clearly has to do with the danger of listening to your eyes. Many a flight has been cancelled because of poor visibility. But once the atmosphere clears up, then we can fly out—even if it’s on another day.

Chapter 10 extols the virtue of patience. Patience does not mean that we never complain, but it does mean that we do not leave the battlefield before the victory has been won.

Chapter 11 is a reminder of the danger of losing focus. No matter how gifted we may be, we must not lose focus. We are often hampered by what we hear and see, and it hinders us in the decision-making process. Sometimes it’s the fear of painful decisions that accrues and handcuffs us because we are afraid of the backlash that will come as a result of having to make a decision that hurts.

Chapter 12 causes one to not only judge the decision-making process, but also to be honest enough to admit when and why we fail, and to give credit to whom credit is due for our victories.

It is my prayer that through the format and the Biblical-spiritual-sociological insights contained within these chapters, you will learn some principles by which to embrace, engage, and execute good decision-making.

Always Begin with Prayer

Prayer is spiritual communion with God. Every decision we make ought to be bathed in prayer. Not everyone believes in the power of prayer. But in this book, I am speaking to those who believe that God is the center of our world’s reality. Therefore, my appeal is theistic rather than agnostic.

It is a given in the community of faith that prayer is a powerful and an indispensible resource for discovering the will of God. It has been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get humanity’s will done in heaven but to get God’s will done on earth. Prayer is not about twisting God’s arm in order to have our way; it is about discovering and surrendering to God’s will…

Prayer does not always exempt us from potentially harmful situations… Sometimes, as we pray to know God’s will, we are kept from, or within, situations and circumstances. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not kept from the fire but in the fire… They were delivered unharmed, and God’s ultimate will was established. (Carter, Interpreting the Will God, 100-103)

It is important that we go to God in prayer for ourselves because God’s directives are unique to every individual situation. We must ask the question, What must I do? When the odds are against me, should I fight? Run? Or acquiesce? The answer will not always be the same.

It is never easy to make a decision when one’s life is hanging in the balance. Therefore, prayer is necessary to help us navigate the turbulent waters of life. Beyond fighting, running, and acquiescing, in short fashion, we need to make a decision to give it to God. This is not some kind of pie in the sky declarative; it is at the heart of what we believe the gospel to be.

We must remember that through prayer we will be guided to the best decision as to what we must do. Through prayer we determine whether something is our fight or God’s. Sometimes our decision-making is hampered because we do not bathe our decisions in prayer and obedience to God’s word.

Many people believe in and expect to hear an audible voice when they pray. However, beloved, I doubt very seriously that you will hear such a voice. Ninety-nine percent of the time, God speaks to us through His written word. Regardless of how your answer comes, whenever you make a decision based on prayer, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is going to deliver you. Prayer makes clear what we ordinarily do not see.

CHAPTER 1

IDENTIFY YOUR PASSION

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:10-12 NIV)

Passion is a gift that has been given to us by God. That is sometimes difficult to explain: articulation is slow to come. But as you keep doing what you are doing, then your passion is set ablaze. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted to become a professor of theology or philosophy. But he had seen his father stand up for justice, which lit a flame inside of him. Dr. King’s passion was the liberating of people in order to liberate the world.

Passion lasts for a lifetime. But sometimes things unusual and unheard of cause us to reach out through mercy (with a peaceful attitude and conciliation). Are you able