Every day, we make one decision after another, and it can be hard to know how to make those decisions. But here’s a simple principle: If you want to make good decisions, listen to God.

The Bible says, “If you want better insight and discernment . . . learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting him . . . He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time” (Proverbs 2:3, 5, 9 TLB).

So how do you listen to God? One major way God speaks is through his Word. So when you’re making a decision, ask yourself: “Is my decision in harmony with God’s Word?”

When you’re making a decision, you’re choosing what’s going to be your ultimate authority in life. It really boils down to this choice: God’s Word or the world. Are you going to base your decisions on what God says or what other people say?

If you base your life on popular opinion, you’re always going to be out of date because popular opinion changes every day. What was “in” yesterday is “out” today, and what’s “in” today will be “out” tomorrow. If you base your life on popular culture or opinion polls, you will struggle because you’re building on a shifting foundation!

On the other hand, if you base your life on God’s Word, the truth never changes. Truth is always true. So if God says something was wrong 10,000 years ago, it was also wrong 500 years ago, it’s wrong today, and it will be wrong 1,000 years from today. I don’t care what the culture says or what is popular at the time. If God says it’s wrong, it’s wrong. And if God says it’s right, it will always be right. That is a solid foundation!

God has set up the universe with certain laws—physical, moral, and spiritual. God built the universe around these laws because they’re all for your benefit. When you cooperate with the principles in this universe, you’re more likely to succeed. If you reject, disobey, ignore, and rebel against God’s principles, you may get hurt.

When you keep all this in mind, you can be confident about the decisions you make. If God says it’s okay, then you do it. If God says no, then you don’t do it.

As you learn to make decisions based on God’s Word, you’ll find this to be true: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).