Making Decisions With God: 4 Questions to Guide You
Have you been praying about a big decision? Maybe you feel confused because you want to follow God but don’t have a clear sense of his direction. You are in the right place. Today, we’ll talk about making decisions with God and explore four questions to help us.
Making Decisions With God: 4 Questions to Guide You
A few years ago, I sensed God calling me to step out in faith and take a risk that was beyond my comfort zone. I didn’t feel equipped for the assignment. I wanted signs of God’s provision before I took the first step of faith.
After months of hesitation, I finally obeyed. The journey has had ups and downs, but at the end of each day, I’m thankful to fall asleep knowing I am doing my best to follow God.
My journey taught me the importance of asking four questions when making decisions with God. Let’s look at these questions together today.
Questions to Ask When Making Decisions With God
1. Does this decision align with God’s character in Scripture?
The first question to ask as you discern God’s direction is, “Does this decision align with everything I know about godly decision-making in the Bible?”
God will never lead you to do something that does not align with Scripture.
For example, you might feel like God is calling you to walk away from your marriage because you are in love with someone else. Everything in your heart might be telling you that this is the right move. However, God will not call you to disobey his Word.
When making decisions, I ask myself, “Is this decision consistent with God’s direction in the Bible?” If I’m not sure, I reach out to a pastor or more mature believer for advice.
2. Does this decision align with common sense and wisdom?
God gave us wisdom and common sense to help us make decisions.
He rarely calls us to make decisions that don’t align with wisdom and common sense.
If you don’t have wisdom in the matter you are dealing with, ask God to give you wisdom. He will answer your prayer and direct you. God wants you to walk in his will. He is not trying to trick you or asking you to read his mind.
He might use this time to draw you closer to him in a loving relationship; meanwhile, he wants to show you his will. Seek it with an open heart, and you will find it.
3. What does the most mature believer in my life have to say about this?
I’ve also learned the value of talking with people who have more wisdom, experience, and maturity than me.
Often, insight from those who are wiser than us can greatly help us in making decisions with God.
4. Can I give this decision time to settle and see if it still seems to be from God?
I’ve also learned that rushing into decisions often leads me to miss God’s direction.
At times, I’ve had ideas that felt like exciting steps of faith. I’ve been ready to quit my job, buy a new house, or launch a new ministry. However, after giving these ideas room to breathe, within a few months, they lost their steam. I realized I was not hearing from the Lord. I simply had a good idea and felt excited about it.
(Join me here for three reasons we often miss God’s voice.)
Making decisions with God goes best when we give these decisions time. I have a three-month rule on major decisions. Whenever possible, I give major decisions three months before moving forward. This isn’t always possible, but whenever possible, I often discover that God reveals himself over time. It’s important to remember that God is never in a hurry.
Final Thoughts on Making Decisions With God
Is Jesus calling you to step out in faith and follow him into any new situations, ministries, or ventures in your life? Test your impression with the Bible, wisdom, common sense, more mature believers, and time.
If you sense Jesus is directing you, ask him to show you the first step, and take that step today. If you are uncertain, give your idea space to breathe, and trust Jesus to guide you when the time is right.
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