The key to making right decisions is to seek God’s will about them — and then do what He tells you to do. God loves you and wants what is best for you — and the best path is always the one He has for you.

How can you discover God’s will? Someone has compared it to guiding a boat safely into a harbor at night. Outside the harbor are three lights — and when all three are in line, the captain knows he’s on the right course. But if one of the lights is out of line, the pilot knows he shouldn’t proceed.

The same is true with us: God has given us three “lights” to guide us as we seek His will. The first is the Bible, which is God’s Word. How many wrong decisions would we avoid if we only obeyed God’s commands against greed, or sexual sin, or lying — or (on the other hand) His commands to act with compassion and love toward others? The Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Then God has given us the “light” of prayer. When you face a decision, do you earnestly pray and seek God’s will — or do you simply try to think it through as best you can? When we pray, God guides our steps, and His Holy Spirit gives us an inner conviction of the right path.

Finally, God often gives us the “light” of circumstances. Has He opened an unexpected door to go through? Are our God-given gifts and abilities suited for this task? Make sure of your commitment to Christ, and then seek God’s will in everything.