SermonView's Ministry Insights

Don’t expect people to figure out what you want them to do. If you want someone to make a decision, you’ll get better results if you ask.

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Hello, Larry Witzel here, welcome back to Ministry Insights from SermonView. In marketing, there’s a concept known as the Call to Action. The idea is simple: if you want someone to do something, tell them to do it. Call them to act in a specific way. Be direct and clear: do this.

There’s a frequently cited statistic that the average American makes 35,000 decisions every day. These are as mundane as how should I fold this shirt, or, should I change lanes to get around this truck, or, should I wear this shirt or this one? One study from Cornell found we make over 200 decisions every day about food alone. And these are old stats. With the rise of social media, it’s likely we’re being forced to make even more decisions every day. Do I like this video? Should I subscribe to this channel? (By the way: Yes, you should click that thumbs up button for this video, and yes, please subscribe to the SermonView channel.)

All those decisions take effort, which has led to widespread decision fatigue. A major reason we procrastinate is because we just don’t have the energy to make another big decision. That’s part of the power of habit: it reduces the number of decisions we have to make, because the habit makes some of the decisions for us.

It’s in this environment that God wants to use you to help people take a step forward in their life of faith. As a mature disciple of Jesus, God wants you to guide people on this journey, based on your own experience. If you see the next natural step in spiritual development is daily Bible reading, then ask them to make a decision to do that. If the next step is getting in the habit of intercessory prayer, than ask them to make a decision to do that.

If someone doesn’t make a firm decision to do something, they’re not going to do it. If you’re asking someone to make a change in their life, it’s not going to happen unless they make a decision to do it. Now, of course, making that decision doesn’t mean they’re going to follow through. But if they don’t intend to do something, they’re not going to do it. The decision comes first.

And here’s what I know: in my own faith, I haven’t arrived. There is always room to grow, always a next step in my spiritual journey. If that’s true for you, too, then you understand. There’s always a next step. So as a spiritual leader, you need to make it clear what the decision is, and then ask people to take that step. There’s always a next step, and you always need to ask people to take that next step.

This is not being manipulative. This is not guilting someone into doing something they really don’t want to do. It’s about making clear what the choice is, then asking them to make that choice. There’s always a next step, and you need to always ask people to take that next step.

Jesus said you don’t get because you don’t ask. So be bold. Have courage, and take every opportunity to ask for decisions.

Pastor, thank you for the work you do. You have one of the toughest jobs in the world, loving people even when they criticize you. Well, I appreciate you. Thank you for your faithfulness. Hold onto Jesus, and He’ll carry you through. I’m cheering for you! See you next time!