Give Me a Sign!

How to Make Decisions When the Rubber Meets the Road

Somewhere about 15 minutes into my drive I figured out I had put the wrong address in the GPS. One minute I was listening happily to the radio, the next I’m steering with my knee, deliberately speaking instructions in high volume at my phone, and cursing the ridiculous auto-corrects that have me pecking away at the tiny keyboard and doing 10 below the speed limit.

Recent changes in my life have me feeling the same way. One minute I’m cruising along in life, until seemingly out of nowhere, there are roadblocks and detour signs, and other indications I may have made some errors in judgment. Did I miss God? Am I in trouble? If so, what for? I better figure it out quick before everything falls apart!

We all want to do God’s will, but we tend to approach it like our decisions are some gameshow prize package. Behind one door is The Good Choice, with a lifetime of having all your heart’s desires filled. Behind the other, a choice that is “outside of God’s will” and results in a Spartan life mopping up your mistakes after being forcibly ejected from Abraham’s bosom. Choose wisely!

So, we wait and we pray for God to show up and make our decisions for us by plainly revealing His will, giving us a sign, or prophecy, or miracle. When push comes to shove and choices are made, we wring our hands and wonder if we are in sin or deception at the first sign of trouble.

Here’s the thing: God promises us difficulty. Paul gives us the biblical examples of being soldiers, athletes, or farmers: in the fight of our lives, enduring hardships, maintaining discipline, toiling for harvest. If it was easy, Satan would do it! Don’t allow difficulty to make you feel like you missed hearing God, made a mistake, or are being punished for either.

The key to making good choices and then following through is knowing who God says you are. He values your free will and will never take your choices from you. He handcrafted you with skills, talents, personality traits, spiritual gifts, and abilities. What good and noble ideas you are drawn to, think about, daydream on, and pursue by choice… they are for you. Choosing those areas, professions, schools, people and communities that align with who you were made to be, are choices made in His will.

He calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and you are the sheep. Realize that as you seek Him when you make choices, your shepherd will gently re-direct you, lovingly call you away from things that may be dangerous, protect you from folly, and shelter you as you navigate. He is also the gardener, who is faithful to prune things away that are growing awry or planted in error. These things will feel chastening and humbling, but they are not necessarily signs you are outside His will. Just the opposite; we discipline and set boundaries for children we love, and so does the Lord. You are a beloved child of God, and He is not sitting back waiting to see if you fail His tests. He is an active participant in your development as part of His body, and He is delighted in you. Even when you are dumb! Humility demands that we relax and trust that God has us firmly in His hands.

Knowing whose we are, and that difficulties can be expected because we are loved, we can make our choices and stand firm in them.