Let’s consider a few principles.
1) Make sure that what is being considered is not sinful. If the Bible teaches against it then the decision has already been made by God and we just do as we are told by Him. A man who won’t listen to his head can expect to have a family who will rebel against his leadership.
2) Pray, pray, pray, and pray some more. There is a range of foolish to wise even within the area of what is not sinful. Some things are okay, but they are not the best. We should always try to find the best and prayer will help us train our minds to look for God’s wisdom rather than the world’s wisdom.
3) Seek counsel from others. Proverbs tells us that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. Many times we are so emotionally wrapped up in our situation that we can’t see it clearly and certainly can’t be objective about the right choice to make. Asking someone outside will help give us perspective, IF we listen to them.
4) Talk to and consider the thoughts of every member of the family. That doesn’t mean that if one of the kids doesn’t want to do it we scrap the whole idea, but sometimes another family member may have a real concern, or a viable alternative. Many of the questions and challenges can be answered and that will help everyone feel better about the final decision. As important as it is to involve the family in decisions, the fact is, a family is not supposed to be a democracy, it is to be lovingly led by the father with the wife as vice-president.
5) Be Patient. Haste makes waste as the saying goes. Aesop’s Fable about the tortoise and the hare explains the problem that many in our society have. People want everything now without having to pay for it, and it doesn’t work. Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t force yourself into a bad situation because someone else can’t wait.
6) Count the cost. Count all the costs, not just financial. Make a detailed list of all the pro’s and con’s. Look not only at the possible positive outcomes, but also at the possible negative outcomes.
7) Don’t be selfish. When we make decisions out of selfishness we hurt those we are supposed to love.
8) Don’t be materialistic. Happiness, safety, and fulfilment can’t be found in money or things. It is okay to consider the financial aspect, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. Jesus said that a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions. Once we realize that everything is God’s and we are managers of it we will do better with things. You don’t have to have the newest latest anything.
9) Finally, after the decision is made do the best with what you have decided. There are two sides to that. One is that sometimes you have to live with the consequences of the wrong decisions we make. The other side is that we can make new decisions that can alleviate some of those consequences. Sometimes we have to cut our losses. Even though we should count the cost before getting started, we often find that we have not adequately counted. When we discover that we need to recalculate and make a better decision for the future.
I am sure there is much more that could be said about this subject, but these are some good places to start.