Is it God or just your own thinking? How can you know if the decision you’re making is of God’s will? I’ve been there too. On one hand, you don’t want to be stuck or waste time. On the other hand, you don’t want to be presumptuous and move ahead with a decision that isn’t Spirit-led. So, what are you supposed to do if you don’t have an indication in either direction?
Afraid to make a bad decision, many become spiritually stuck. So I want to give you a couple of truths that will help rewire the way you think so you can be decisive, while also being obedient to God. While there are several keys to recognizing and responding to the voice of God, I want to focus on giving you two simple thoughts.
First, we, as believers, hear God primarily through His written Word. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t speak to us directly. Of course He does. However, this does mean that if you’re not in the Word, you will more often find yourself stuck in indecision. To receive the Word is to develop wisdom, and wisdom is the foundation of decisiveness. Wisdom is divine reasoning. Wisdom is the problem-solving approach given to us by God.
“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” - Psalm 19:7 (NLT)
Second, don’t trust in your ability to hear God. Now, at first, this directive might seem unusual, especially for Christians. I don’t mean that we shouldn’t desire to hear God or that we shouldn’t be glad when we do. I simply mean that when your trust is placed in your ability to hear God, you add unnecessary tension to your walk with the Lord. You see, Christians who trust in their own ability to hear God live with the perceived burden of having to make God speak, which nobody can do.
When you trust in your own ability to hear God, you leave yourself vulnerable to the fear that you might not be doing enough to hear Him and, therefore, might be missing His instructions. You become stressed about making sure you’re using all of the correct tactics to hear Him. Of course, we, as believers, ought to live in the stillness of readiness to hear the Lord. We must learn to quiet mind and emotion, so that we might not mistake our own thoughts for God’s voice. And, yes, we should seek the Lord and seek to hear His voice. Yet, ultimately, your faith cannot be in self or in your own faith. We trust not in our ability to hear the Holy Spirit but in His ability to speak to us. If God could get through to Pharoah and Saul, He can get through to you.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
We can find relief, and then joy and peace, as we live ready and eager to hear Him while trusting that He’ll speak when He’s ready.
To become decisive, ground yourself in the Word and then learn to trust that He knows how to get through to you.
ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.