On Finding Direction
“Pastor, what does God want me to do with my life?” If I had a nickel for every time I have heard that, I wouldn’t be rich, but I would have a few dollars.
Consecrated Christians do desire to follow God’s leading, take his path, make decisions in accord with his will, but the way forward is often unclear. There are at least four helps in discerning God’s will in a given situation.
Help Number One
Marinate your life with the word of God and prayer. Let the word and prayer so work into your inner life that your mind takes on the flavor of God’s mind. Like a husband and wife get to know each other so well that they come close to reading each other’s mind, so a Christian whose life is marinated with the word and prayer will often “just know” what God wants.
A key thing about marinate is that it is done in advance.
Help Number Two
Think about how God’s creative work is leading you.
God created you with certain abilities and talents. What are you inherently good at or able to do? What aren’t you good at or what are you unable to do? Early on I scored lousy on a test for mechanical reasoning. I did fairly well on verbal aptitude. While as a young man I sensed God’s calling to be a pastor, I never sensed him to be calling me to be an engineer. How does how God has wired you impact your direction?
When you were born again, the Holy Spirit came into your life. And the Holy Spirit never arrives without gifts. When God recreated you, you received a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, some gifts. Do you have the gift of helping? Do you have the gift of interpretation? Do you have the gift of administration? How does how God has re-wired you impact your direction?
God also promises a New Creation for you, life with him in glory. One day this world will pass away and be replaced with something far superior, and you will be a part of that. How does being part of God’s New Creation impact your direction? What are your freed to do now because you are freed forever?
Help Number Three
The Apostle Peter talked about doing everything to the glory of God. The Apostle Paul did too.
Often the decisions we make are made in self-interest. What will redound to my glory? What will make me look good? Our culture floods us with messages of self-glorification. Such leading leads to pride which, as you know, leads ultimately to a fall.
When you are seeking direction from God, think about the path that glorifies God. What displays his honor, splendor, wisdom, power and goodness? What actions show others that the crown belongs on God’s head, not yours?
Help Number Four
Do you know the old story about heaven and hell being the same except for one thing? Both heaven and hell are characterized by people sitting at a huge banquet table with lavish platefuls of food in front of each person. They all have plenty of food, but no one has elbows.
The difference is that in hell people are famished, gaunt and haggard because they cannot get food up to their mouths while in heaven people are full and celebrating because each one feeds another. Get it?
Like God’s example in Jesus his call on our life is to love one another. We are to be fiercely committed to the wellbeing of others no matter what the cost. (We are free to do that because God has loved us with such a love first.) When seeking God’s direction in any given situation, we can ask ourselves which action will serve to love my neighbor? Such a question will lead us in God’s direction.
These four helps should help. But the way forward may still lack the complete clarity you desire. You may still not be certain of God’s direction. Don’t be surprised. Remember, we walk by faith, not by sight. And remember following God’s direction is never keeping in lock step like a robot, but rather it is the freedom within boundaries of a beloved child let loose to explore a beautiful, but somewhat dangerous countryside.