Bonus Episode #11: Decision-Making in Hard Seasons: You have an all-access pass

If you're struggling with decisions -- big ones or small -- you're in the right place because today we break free from what's tripping us up  One incredibly important truth to remember as you process and make decisions these days is to remember you have all the access you need to talk to God.  As His daughter, you can walk up to His approachable throne of grace and ask any question you want about any decision you have. Sometimes we think that only certain people have access to the owner's suite or the dugout, but in God's economy, we all have the exact same access.  But sometimes we forget we have this all-access pass of 24/7/365 availability to our friend Jesus and we try to muddle through decision-making all on our own. And y'all, we are making a ton of decisions these days:   Is it okay to send my kids to camp? Are playdates safe? When will it be okay to go to our subdivision pool? If there is school in the fall, should I send my kids? And trying to figure all the answers out on our own is where we get into trouble. In fact, there are four main trouble spots that I see in myself and perhaps they resonate with you too.  These four areas are: People-pleasing/peer-pressure Fear Uncertainty and the lack of information Brain fatigue These issues are deep-seated so we'll cover two today: people-pleasing and fear. Let's dig in, shall we?   One, we get into trouble when we try to make decisions based on people-pleasing or peer-pressure. These days we try to please or are pressured by two groups: Our kids The people around us, and "around us" can be your online people. But sweet friends, let's remember the truth: outcomes are not dependent on you. You're not that powerful. it's not your job to keep people happy. and your security is found in Christ alone, not in your popularity.  There's a simple (yet hard!) solution to combat the trouble of people-pleasing and caving to peer pressure.  Remember that you only have one person you need to please and one person to conform to Jesus Christ.  Two, we get into trouble when we are pushed by fear not led by love. Emily Freeman talks about this quite a bit in her podcast and books because the juxtaposition of our 2 decision-making options is so stark: We are either pushed by fear or led by love. The fear for our physical safety makes us question whether going to the grocery store is wise. Fear of judgment causes us to pause whether to go to that in-person birthday party, have date-night with our spouse, or swim at the subdivision pool. Fear of making the wrong choice leaves us stuck and overwhelmed. We wonder, Couldn't someone else just make the decision for us? What if we make the wrong decision and mess everything up??!?! But sweet friend, fear is not God's plan for you. It's not the inheritance He promised you. There's a simple (yet hard!) solution to combat the trouble of fear.  Become a thought detective. Take note of what you're saying to yourself and then ask God if those thoughts are true.  This is what the Bible calls "taking your thoughts captive."  Notice what gets your heart racing or makes you feel panicked or rushed.  Notice if you're falling into black and white thinking: for instance that one option is right and the other is wrong OR that there is only one possible acceptable decision instead of many good ones.  Notice what thoughts disparage your character and make you believe that you're a bad mom or a lazy mom or a lame-o mom. Now replace that fearful thought with a truthful one.  If you take nothing away from this podcast today, I want you to remember that you have an all-access pass to talk to your Father God. He wants you to come to Him. You don't have to stay stuck in people-pleasing and fear. You can boldly approach His throne of grace.  Key Quotes As His daughter, you can walk up to His approachable throne of grace and ask any question you want about any decision you have. You only have one person you need to please and one person to conform to: Jesus Christ.  Fear is not God's plan for you. Mentioned in the Podcast The FCC requires that I tell you that I'm an Amazon Affiliate, which means I earn a bit of commission on each sale. But don't worry there's no added cost to you! For grace delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to my weekly emails!  Emily P. Freeman's The Next Right Thing book   Previous Episode Mentioned Bonus Episode #10: Decision-Making in Hard Seasons: Remember the Truth Here's how to connect GraceInRealLifePodcast.com Instagram Facebook group Facebook page Subscribe to my weekly emails!