[321 words]
We all face important decisions. These decisions will often have a great impact on us and our families. It may be a question about what job to take, or where to live, or what school to attend, etc. What should we do? Does God offer any help or guidance in making such decisions? We believe the answer is “yes!” How does God give this guidance? In many ways:
Through the Word. The vast majority of answers are here. There are positive commands that tell us what we should do. For example, Matthew 28:19 instructs us to teach the gospel to others. You don’t have to wonder if God wants you to speak to your neighbor about salvation. He does, and He said so! There are also negative commands that tell us what to avoid. If, for instance, you are praying about whether or not you should honestly report your income taxes — save your breath! God has already given that answer (Eph. 4:25). Don’t be looking for additional guidance in areas where God has already said “no” or “yes.”
Through prayer. Christians are to be consistent in prayer (1 Thess. 5:17). God promises to answer our prayers. We ought to approach Him with petitions for help with our important decisions (1 Peter 3:12). If you don’t believe this will work, then don’t bother to ask! (James 1:5-7).
Through circumstances. In the Old Testament, Joseph suffered a number of awful and unjust things. In the end, he was wise enough to realize that God had used those circumstances to accomplish His will (Gen. 45:7,8). Be careful here – this ‘guidance through circumstances’ is sometimes hard to detect, and some are quick to jump to false conclusions.
Through the counsel of others. The many commands that urge us to exhort and encourage our fellow Christians (Heb. 3:13, Gal. 6:2) demonstrate that God intends for us to help one another with the difficult things in our lives.
Greg Gwinn
via Northridge church of Christ
Dayton, OH