Nothing is more frustrating than having decisions to make and coming up with nothing but questions instead of a decision. In fact, the more you try to decide, the more uncertain you become because there is just no clarity. The frustration of that process is really compounded by the fact that as a child of God, you want to trust God, follow God, and obey God. If only God would make it clear! If He would just sent something akin to a spiritual text message. Maybe it would just come as an almost audible voice while praying about the decision. Or, He could make an almost visual difference in a verse or verses in the Bible as we search the scriptures for an indication of His will. God could take an influential friend and just tell them and they could tell us! A fleece seemed to work for Gideon, but when I have tried laying down the fleece in my decision making, nothing at all even happens related to my fleece.
Just about then, the enemy gets involved. I must not be holy enough to see or hear the answer. That may or may not be true, but the enemy sure likes to use it on me. Or you get too close to listening to all the earthbound wisdom that may or may not be true in your circumstances – that could be God or could be the enemy. You know – if there is no clear answer it means “no!” Or it means “wait!” Or it means you are asking the wrong questions!!! We often have the equivalent of the friends of Job when we start asking for advice. Some will tell us whatever we want to hear – others will tell us we are spiritual losers because we don’t have clarity. And in my case, I have found talking to other folks usually disappoints because most people don’t want to be bothered – they don’t like their friends not having it all together!
So, what to do? What do you do when you have to make a tough decision, and you have made the Pro / Con list? What do you do when you can see merits to more than one side of the decision? When you could go with it or ignore it? When you could see where God could be good with you regardless of the decision?
Sometimes I suppose the urgent decision is not as urgent as we think. For me, I cannot just make a decision without a clear word from God. So, my weakest trait has to be dealt with. Impatience. A church member friend of mine told me one time that my impatience was a lack of faith. Perhaps he was right. If you struggle with decisions from time to time, as I do, I have some suggestions from the frying pan!
1. If possible, don’t put yourself under too quick a timetable for making decisions. Some decisions are of such magnitude that they deserve more than a few days being made.
2. Truly trust the Lord. He does want you to have clarity. Wait on Him even if you have to wait longer than you or others are comfortable.
3. If clarity continues to elude you for an extended time, it is likely a closed door that perhaps you wanted opened but God did not.
4. Be careful about putting God to the test. I’m not saying you can never lay down a fleece, but be very careful with that.
5. Also be careful with the practice of cherry picking Bible verses – you know – the open and point method. That one can truly get you in trouble depending on what scriptures present themselves.
6. Finally, recognize that if you are reasonably serving God, if you are walking in the Word and praying, you will ultimately do what God wants you to do – because your desires will actually be His!
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