How to Make Better Business Decisions

One of the most critical skills for any faith-centered business leader is decision-making. Every choice—big or small—impacts your future, your business, and your influence. But how do you make decisions that align with God's purpose, especially when the stakes are high?

In our Listen Up: Hearing God at Work course, we walk through discernment in action—how to live and work by listening to the voice of God. This isn’t just about business decisions; it’s about every decision. Am I listening? What is God saying? How do I weigh wisdom, risk, and faith?

If you want to make decisions with confidence, here’s what you need to know:

1. The Bible is Your Best Business Guide

The greatest resource for decision-making isn’t a bestselling strategy book—it’s the Bible. But if you only read Proverbs, you’re missing two-thirds of the wisdom God has provided.

• Proverbs gives practical principles: “Do this, and it will go well.” We love it because it makes sense. But life doesn’t always fit neatly into formulas.

• Job is about when you do everything right—and things still fall apart. He was righteous, yet he suffered. His breakthrough came through a revelation of who God is, not just what God does.

• Ecclesiastes reminds us that worldly success—money, power, achievements—is meaningless unless it aligns with God’s purpose. True success is growing in love and fulfilling God’s assignment.

To make wise decisions, don’t just apply business principles—apply biblical wisdom. Seek the whole counsel of God.

2. The First Question: How Did You Make Your Last Big Decision?

Think about the last major choice you made—buying or selling a business, hiring or firing, expanding or pivoting. How did you make that decision?

• Was it based on logic alone?

• Did you seek wise counsel?

• Did you stop to ask the Holy Spirit what He was doing?

In Joshua’s story, we see both right and wrong decision-making:

• Jericho: Joshua heard from God, gathered intelligence, and executed the strategy. Victory.

• Ai: After success at Jericho, they assumed it would be easy. They didn’t seek God—and they lost.

• The Gibeonites: They were tricked into a bad deal because they looked at the situation but didn’t ask God.

First seek the counsel of the Lord. (1 Kings 22:5)

3. Learning to Discern: Three Stories

1. A $20,000 Decision

For the first time ever, Janine and I are taking a sabbatical. It doesn’t make financial sense. But as we prayed, we felt a conviction to do it. We started planning, got a quote for flights—$20,000—and thought, How is this going to work?

Then I took a small trip to visit a client. No agenda—just to encourage them and check in. They said they would reimburse my $550 flight. But when I got home, they had sent a check… for $20,000.

They knew nothing about the cost of the sabbatical. But God did.

When you seek the Lord first, He directs your steps—and provides in ways you never expect.

2. Leaving Everything Behind

In New Zealand, we had it all—good jobs, a debt-free home, family close by. But I felt unsettled. We prayed, sought wise counsel, and asked a new question: Is our future in this location? The answer was clear.

God spoke through Scripture, through a visiting speaker, and through Janine. One verse hit her hard: “I will take you one from a city and two from a family and bring you to Zion.” (Jeremiah 3:14)

It made no sense in the natural. But in hindsight, it was one of the best decisions we ever made. If we hadn’t obeyed, Heaven in Business wouldn’t exist today.

3. The “Stupid Idea” That Changed Everything

We nearly shut down The Hope Directive, our nonprofit, to simplify our work. But a board member said, “Andy, that would be a stupid idea.” Instead, he encouraged us to clarify the vision and see what was possible.

That year, we traveled to Zimbabwe, Germany, and Switzerland. Without even telling people, four donors each gave $10,000—almost as funding than the previous seven years combined!

What started as a small step of obedience turned into international impact.

The Key to Every Decision: Seek God First

Every major decision you make—whether in business, family, or ministry—has long-term consequences. Some will affect you for generations. How are you making those decisions?

Three Simple Steps to Align Your Decisions with God:

1. Pause & Ask: Holy Spirit, what do you want me to know right now?

2. Seek Counsel: Find wise, godly people who will challenge your thinking.

3. Obey Quickly: When God speaks, don’t delay. Trust Him.

If you want to go deeper in this process, grab a copy of Listen Up: Hearing God at Work. It’s full of real-world case studies, practical steps, and insights on learning to hear and follow God in your business decisions.

And don’t just read—join us! Come to our Heaven in Business conference this month. Get in the room where wisdom, strategy, and the presence of God come together to shape your next season.

👉 Grab your copy of Listen Up today and register at Heaveninbusiness.com.

Decisions determine destiny. Seek God first, and watch what He does.