I Need Your Guidance

Making the right decision can be very difficult. It becomes increasingly difficult when you have two or three good options from which to choose.

The questions that seemingly cause me the most stresses are the ones where the Bible does not specifically address: Where should I live? What should be my life's work/career? Who should I marry? How many children should we have? Who should I hire? Should I take the job in Texas or the one in Minnesota?

We have a heavenly Father who loves us, knows the future, and desires to give us the best he has for us. But, before we receive guidance from God for our lives, there are some things that should be true of us. I have put this limited list of prerequisites in the form of questions:

1. Have I chosen to follow Jesus and let him reign in my life? Matthew 6:31-33

God will guide us when we have chosen to submit to the reign and leadership of Jesus. If we have not made the decision to follow him in the most important area, that is, to love him and seek his kingdom values, then why should he give us guidance/direction in other areas in our lives?

2. Am I living a holy and obedient life? Psalm 66:18; 84:11; Ezek. 20:1ff, 31

God's moral will is revealed in the Bible through the commandments and other biblical principles: - don't steal, don't kill, don't commit adultery, etc. God's moral will is connected to his specific guidance for our lives. So, before we ask God who we should marry, where we should live, and how many children we should have, we should ask the question: Is there unconfessed sin in our lives that would hinder our ability to talk to God and hear his directions for our lives clearly?

3. Have I spent time getting to know His voice? John 10.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the right voice, over all other competing voices, giving us guidance and clarity in our lives? Jesus says that it is possible for us to pick out his voice amidst all these other competing and confusing voices. The key to recognizing his voice and getting guidance from Him is spending quality time with him in prayer and reading and listening to his words. The more we practice these disciplines, the more we will recognize his voice and follow his guidance.

4. Is God's will for my life more important than my will for my life? Matthew 26:39-42

Often we go to God for guidance, but when we get an answer we don't like, we sometimes go for a second opinion or we keep asking, thinking that God will give us an answer that we like. Or, we go in asking God for guidance, hoping he will bless what we have already decided. If we are to receive direction from God, we have to resolve his will is more important than ours, and we will do what he says.

I believe God answers our prayers for guidance in at least four ways:

1. No way! Your request is not in God's will (Matthew 26-36-39)
2. Slow Your Roll! Your request is not God's will at this time. (John 11:3, 6, 14-15, 43-44)
3. Grow Up! Your motives and spiritual condition are wrong (James 4:3)
4. Go Ahead! Your request, timing and spiritual condition is right (Acts 12:5-7, 12-17)