Desperate For Direction
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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Last weekend I attended a Christian retreat at a Bible camp about an hour away from where I live. During the weekend, both in the messages and the small group discussions, a lot was said about surrender and the will of God.
It was through talking it over that I truly began to believe that the two often go hand in hand. Because really, as humans, we are allowed to make choices in life, but not every choice we make is a good one. That is why, if we really want to live our lives in the right way, we must rely on God to direct these choices.
So how do we make the right life choices and how do we make sure that it is God who is leading us? Well in truth, there are many ways and I don't have time to get into them all today. Prayer is one of the first ways that comes to mind, but even in prayer, I have found that it is not always easy to get a clear answer. I've talked to people who have been Christians for many years and they still struggle with getting guidance in their prayers when they are faced with making decisions. So then how can we know what God wants of us?
As I've been told many times, and I've found it to be true in my life, the best way to receive guidance in the big things is to follow God in the small things. What do I mean by that exactly? Well, if you live your life in daily obedience to God and follow after Him in the way you live your daily life, then the bigger things tend to just fall into place. Think of it this way: If every small choice you make is the equivalent of one small footstep in the right direction, these small choices will lead you in the direction God wants you to go in.
And how can we as Christians know when we've been walking in the wrong direction? There is a very easy test to take. Ask yourself: after spending time in prayer, do I have peace over where I am in life and the choice that I am about to make? If the answer to that is anything else than an absolute 'Yes, then I would take a time-out before going any further. It is very clear in the Bible that Jesus promises peace to believers. If you are inner turmoil over a decision that you are about to make, let me say it again: take a time-out to re-evaluate what you are about to do. First Corinthians 14:33 says that God is not a God of disorder, but a God of peace. In Luke, Zechariah prophesied about Jesus that Jesus was sent "to guide us to the path of peace." There are many other verses that speak about this, but the bottom line is: if you do not have peace, then do not go ahead.
In closing, if you are struggling with a big decision, I cannot encourage you enough to pray about it. Ask God to guide you and to give you peace in the direction He wants you to go. Even if you don't believe that God is sovereign over everything, the bottom-line is- He knows what is best for you.
If you'd like someone to pray for you or you have questions, I would love to talk with you. Email madradioshow@hotmail.com or put madradioshow@hotmail.com on your MSN list.
And for those of you who aren't facing major choices now, let me encourage you to not wait until you are to daily seek God. We have a wonderful Savior who desires a relationship with us. Take the time today to build that relationship.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all that you do, and He will direct your paths."
What an amazing promise!
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.