Luke 19:8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Decisions must be specific and sincere not vague and ambiguous. A general, loose or indefinite decision covering a broad spectrum will not take flight. Zacchaeus was a cheat, crook and con who misused his power and position as a tax collector and swindled the poor, uneducated and the ignorant. Not everyone back in those times had formal education. Zacchaeus collected tax fraudulently many times more than what the Roman empire required and became wealthy with stolen money. Jesus did not quote the old testament and preach on the curses that follow deceitful practices. He did not quote Exodus 23:8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent. Just the presence of Jesus brought light into the dark soul of Zacchaeus and he was convicted to clean his corrupt ways and cheap means. The decision of Zacchaeus was clear, explicit, quantified and measurable.
Our decision must be specific not vague and unclear:
1. Precise: If our decisions are not precise we will never achieve it. Zacchaeus was convicted that half of his possessions were stolen from the poor, hence he decided to sell one house if he had two and give it to the poor, the widows and orphans. Similarly, if he had cheated someone of $100, he decided to repay $400 together with interest for the distress that he had caused. Those who received $400 for $100 that was stolen from them would have blessed Zacchaeus and his family and Zacchaeus by his decision turned the curses into blessings. There will be progression in all the spectrums of our life by a precise decision. Be specific with your decisions.
2. Plan: A decision without a plan will be like the sandcastles on the beach. A big wave will wash it away. Our decisions must have a plan, route and roadmap to achieve it. We must have a weekly plan, monthly plan, quarterly plan to achieve the yearly plan. A decision to grow intellectually would require one hour of reading every day, 1 hour of reflection every week and ½ an hour to lay down an implementation plan. A regular evaluation to see if we are on track and if there is noticeable progression is vital to our valuable decisions. Make the plan black and white and stick the planner over your study table. Discuss your progress with your mentor or your decision-buddy weekly. Have a definite plan to drive your decision.
3. Practical: Decisions must be practical and measurable. You cannot grow ten feet tall in ten days. Let the measures be quantifiable and noticeable. Take into account your normal routine and responsibilities before you make your decision. Fit your plan to grow into the time that is normally wasted in useless conversation, lethargy and laziness. Procrastination is the biggest enemy to progression. Kill procrastination by a practical plan. There must be mini plans inside a yearly plan. The yearly plan must be broken into weekly and daily plan. Only a practical and measurable plan will bring a decision into fruition.
A decision without precision will not see progression.
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Prayer: Holy Spirit I need your help to draw out a precise and practical plan for my decisions. Help me to be sincere and fill me with passion to grow, progress and increase spiritually, intellectually and materially in 2021. Amen
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