Decisions, decisions, decisions (part one)
Having two close friends who've had to make life-changing decisions lately, I'd like to answer the questions, "How do you know when something is God's will?" "How do you know you're making the right decision?" " What if you make the wrong one?" "Then what?"
First of all, in order to answer these questions, I believe our answers to the next questions will be indicators of our knowledge and relationship with God... whose will we want to know.
1) Am I in the Word of God?
Being in the Word of God is so important because...
[His] word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
In the Greek, light and lamp are two different words here. The word for light means "illumination or luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) bright, clear, + day, light (-ning) morning, sun. In other words it's THE LARGE LIGHT.
The word for lamp means a candle, lamp, light or gleam...the gleam of a fresh furrow. In other words it's THE LITTLE LIGHT.
By looking at the Greek, I came to realize that God is constantly illuminating my path, as in the sun, lightning, etc., but I must turn the light, candle, or lamp of His Word on, daily, to see my feet. God only lets me see what's right in front of me, without letting me see down the whole road. I have learned in fifty-two years if God had shown me the whole path from beginning to end, I would have never had the strength nor the desire to finish. God gives me just enough light to see the step I'm on, but He sees the entire path. That light by which He lets me see, comes from His Word, which will eventually show me the entire path.
2) Am I still enough to hear His voice?
Ps. 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God,
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
I found this concept in the book Too Hurried to Love, by Charles Bradshaw. In it he mentions several things we can do to get the hurry out of our life, which gives us more time to love God, our families and others . The first thing he says is "find the silence." I've given this assignment to my ladies Bible classes who, on numerous times have asked me "what do you mean by finding the silence?" To which I've had to explain that in order to KNOW GOD we have to be still...still enough to hear His voice. We literally have to find the silence in our lives. When we get into the car, we have on the radio. When we're in our house, we generally have on the television or stereo or something that makes noise. At work there is noise. When we shop, there is noise. Especially if you live in the city, there is noise. We almost have to go on a retreat to find the silence. But, how many of us really do have the luxury of going on retreats, daily, just in order to find the silence? My husband, Phil, gave one of his clients the assignment to go home and find the silence in his life and three weeks later he came back and said he never did.
It's very hard to develop a relationship with God in the fast lane. My granddaughter, Bella, exemplifies the positive side of this in her relationship with Kelly. Recently, when Bella was tired, crying and wanting to be held, I saw her eyes looking around the entire room for the one person she knew would hold and love her, because that person had spent practically every minute with her since May 23, 2007, the day she was born. Even though Bella is unaware, the person who's eyes she was looking for, had known her since before she was born. Bella knew who to look for, because she had spent so much time in Kelly's arms. Kelly had fed her, cared for her, changed her, and loved her more than anybody else. Now don't get me wrong, her dad David, loved her just as much, but Kelly had certainly spent more time with her. We, like Bella, are going to look for the god we've spent the most time with, when we have times of crises. Why not go to Him, immediately, for help with our decisions...in our times of need? Just like Kelly did for Bella, God can feed us, care for us, change us, and love us more than anybody because He's known us since before we were born...even from the beginning of time. Spend time with Him who wants to spend time with you. Even if it's just two minutes a day, spend time with Him. Read His will. Spend time in prayer. Meditate on The Word. Memorize scripture. Listen to Christian music. Do anything to draw yourself closer to God, being certain that he will help you make the right decisions.
Also, just as a side note, I promised God that everytime I mentioned Psalm 46:10, I would include the last two sentences which most people overlook. It says: "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth." The most important thing that being still does, is it enables us and puts us in a position to exalt God. When 9/11 happened, everything stopped. People were literally stopped in their tracks in New York, but even in the entire nation, it seemed like time stood still. It was then that so many people focused on God and the power of God. It was then that so many people reached out to God. Much like this happened in New Orleans after the flood and even recently in LaFayette, TN after the tornadoes. People were made to stand still and see the power of God and He, if just for a short time, was exalted. When I am still, not only am I able to hear God's voice, I am given the opportunity to exalt Him.
3) Have I been praying about it?
1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you."
Literally in the Greek it reads, "All the anxiety of you casting on Him, because to Him it matters concerning you." In other words, if it matters to you, it matters to God. Remember Bella? Bella casts her anxiety on Kelly because she cares for her. Literally Kelly cares for Bella. Kelly cares in the sense of "love," but also in the sense of "provision." Kelly provides for Bella in every way and because of that, Bella knows who to look to for help. And here's the interesting part, Bella communicates with Kelly without words. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." And the verse that follows is the best part, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:26-28 Oh, my friends, even if we don't know what to pray for, God's Holy Spirit does, and He will ask, for us, in accordance with God's will. Then God will work things out for our good. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches which are in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19
The only way I know to cast my anxieties upon God is to go to Him in prayer and, even if I don't know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit will do it for me. Then I can rest assured that the decisions I make are in accordance with God's will, because the same Spirit who intercedes for me, knows God's will. AND the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living in me. Eph. 1:19-20 That's amazing power!!!!!!!!!!!!! My prayers prompt God's power and that's resurrection power. If Kelly can provide all of Bella's needs without words from Bella, how much more can God provide for our needs, if asked by His Spirit?
Right after David was born I worked for Underwriter's Adjusting Company and was deciding whether to work full time, part-time or if at all after Laura was born. I literally had been praying, "God, if it's your will that I work, please let Sandy offer me part-time work with full benefits." I'm not sure how long I prayed that prayer, but when I approached Sandy about working part-time, this is what she offered me: 20 hours with full benefits, which was exactly what I had been praying for. I also knew that usually this was not allowed in the company which made me know absolutely the answer was from God. To have doubted would have been an insult to Him. He gave me exactly what I had asked for, worked everything out for my good, and gave me an opportunity to exalt Him.
Another time, much later in my life, I was praying for a part-time job, but only if I didn't have to look for it. I wanted God to make it perfectly clear if it was His will for me to work or not. One day I was walking down the street to Phil's office when MaryEllen Self poked her head out of her boss's door and said, "Hey Teresa, do you know anyone who'd like to have a part-time job that pays lots of money?" Duh!!!!!!!!!!! I said, "Yes, I do." And the rest is history. I interviewed and took the job with the Social Security Administration as the reporter for the Administrative Law Judges. I had the job for about five years.
I have said many times, that you'd better watch what you pray for, because God just might give it to you....and He's proven over and over to me that He will.
4) Have I sought counsel from others?
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
When I was 29 and considering whether to have major surgery, the one person who helped me the most was someone who had been in my position. She was very young with small children and going into, not one, but two major surgeries which were to take place at the same time, which was exactly my predicament. I felt like she, of all people, knew what lay ahead of me. She prepared me more mentally and emotionally than anyone, because she had been in my shoes. I sought counsel from many doctors instead of just one. If they concurred, I felt I was equipped to make the right decision. I decided to go on and have the surgery but the surgery did not turn out the way I expected. What was to be a normal four hour surgery, turned into a major blunder that led to another four hour surgery, which led to a 10 day hospital stay, a six weeks recuperation period, my mother and father-in-law moving in with us, and me doubting both my decision and God. I had no idea at the age of 29 that this was going to be the most life-changing event I would have in fifty years. I am now fifty-two and nothing has ever come so close to being this life-changing. Did I think at the time that God was going to use this for His glory and my benefit? Absolutely not. I thought this was the worst thing that had ever happened to me, even though I had sought counsel and trusted God to see me through it. In no way, did I believe, after the fact, that the surgery was God's will for me. But God knew more than I could possibly ask or imagine and the mistake I thought I had made by having this surgery, turned out to be the very avenue God used to bring about a greater good for my life.
In making wise decisions, we have to understand that God's timing is everything. When God says "no" He has a better answer. If one door closes another door opens. These are two cliche's that really are real. Whether we believe them or not, I have proven them many times over. With my surgery in 1984 came a major suicidal depression for me, which resulted in ten years of discovering who I was and who God is. During that time I developed a very close relationship with Him, even though I considered those years almost wasted at the time. I saw no good in them, whatsoever, but God used those years to refine me so I could give hope to others who suffer from depression. The video series I produced in 2005, technically came about because of my decision to have surgery in 1984. God's timing is everything and some of our decisions that look like they are wrong, may be exactly the right ones, but in God's time.
First of all, in order to answer these questions, I believe our answers to the next questions will be indicators of our knowledge and relationship with God... whose will we want to know.
1) Am I in the Word of God?
Being in the Word of God is so important because...
[His] word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
In the Greek, light and lamp are two different words here. The word for light means "illumination or luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) bright, clear, + day, light (-ning) morning, sun. In other words it's THE LARGE LIGHT.
The word for lamp means a candle, lamp, light or gleam...the gleam of a fresh furrow. In other words it's THE LITTLE LIGHT.
By looking at the Greek, I came to realize that God is constantly illuminating my path, as in the sun, lightning, etc., but I must turn the light, candle, or lamp of His Word on, daily, to see my feet. God only lets me see what's right in front of me, without letting me see down the whole road. I have learned in fifty-two years if God had shown me the whole path from beginning to end, I would have never had the strength nor the desire to finish. God gives me just enough light to see the step I'm on, but He sees the entire path. That light by which He lets me see, comes from His Word, which will eventually show me the entire path.
2) Am I still enough to hear His voice?
Ps. 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God,
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
I found this concept in the book Too Hurried to Love, by Charles Bradshaw. In it he mentions several things we can do to get the hurry out of our life, which gives us more time to love God, our families and others . The first thing he says is "find the silence." I've given this assignment to my ladies Bible classes who, on numerous times have asked me "what do you mean by finding the silence?" To which I've had to explain that in order to KNOW GOD we have to be still...still enough to hear His voice. We literally have to find the silence in our lives. When we get into the car, we have on the radio. When we're in our house, we generally have on the television or stereo or something that makes noise. At work there is noise. When we shop, there is noise. Especially if you live in the city, there is noise. We almost have to go on a retreat to find the silence. But, how many of us really do have the luxury of going on retreats, daily, just in order to find the silence? My husband, Phil, gave one of his clients the assignment to go home and find the silence in his life and three weeks later he came back and said he never did.
It's very hard to develop a relationship with God in the fast lane. My granddaughter, Bella, exemplifies the positive side of this in her relationship with Kelly. Recently, when Bella was tired, crying and wanting to be held, I saw her eyes looking around the entire room for the one person she knew would hold and love her, because that person had spent practically every minute with her since May 23, 2007, the day she was born. Even though Bella is unaware, the person who's eyes she was looking for, had known her since before she was born. Bella knew who to look for, because she had spent so much time in Kelly's arms. Kelly had fed her, cared for her, changed her, and loved her more than anybody else. Now don't get me wrong, her dad David, loved her just as much, but Kelly had certainly spent more time with her. We, like Bella, are going to look for the god we've spent the most time with, when we have times of crises. Why not go to Him, immediately, for help with our decisions...in our times of need? Just like Kelly did for Bella, God can feed us, care for us, change us, and love us more than anybody because He's known us since before we were born...even from the beginning of time. Spend time with Him who wants to spend time with you. Even if it's just two minutes a day, spend time with Him. Read His will. Spend time in prayer. Meditate on The Word. Memorize scripture. Listen to Christian music. Do anything to draw yourself closer to God, being certain that he will help you make the right decisions.
Also, just as a side note, I promised God that everytime I mentioned Psalm 46:10, I would include the last two sentences which most people overlook. It says: "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth." The most important thing that being still does, is it enables us and puts us in a position to exalt God. When 9/11 happened, everything stopped. People were literally stopped in their tracks in New York, but even in the entire nation, it seemed like time stood still. It was then that so many people focused on God and the power of God. It was then that so many people reached out to God. Much like this happened in New Orleans after the flood and even recently in LaFayette, TN after the tornadoes. People were made to stand still and see the power of God and He, if just for a short time, was exalted. When I am still, not only am I able to hear God's voice, I am given the opportunity to exalt Him.
3) Have I been praying about it?
1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you."
Literally in the Greek it reads, "All the anxiety of you casting on Him, because to Him it matters concerning you." In other words, if it matters to you, it matters to God. Remember Bella? Bella casts her anxiety on Kelly because she cares for her. Literally Kelly cares for Bella. Kelly cares in the sense of "love," but also in the sense of "provision." Kelly provides for Bella in every way and because of that, Bella knows who to look to for help. And here's the interesting part, Bella communicates with Kelly without words. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." And the verse that follows is the best part, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:26-28 Oh, my friends, even if we don't know what to pray for, God's Holy Spirit does, and He will ask, for us, in accordance with God's will. Then God will work things out for our good. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches which are in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19
The only way I know to cast my anxieties upon God is to go to Him in prayer and, even if I don't know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit will do it for me. Then I can rest assured that the decisions I make are in accordance with God's will, because the same Spirit who intercedes for me, knows God's will. AND the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living in me. Eph. 1:19-20 That's amazing power!!!!!!!!!!!!! My prayers prompt God's power and that's resurrection power. If Kelly can provide all of Bella's needs without words from Bella, how much more can God provide for our needs, if asked by His Spirit?
Right after David was born I worked for Underwriter's Adjusting Company and was deciding whether to work full time, part-time or if at all after Laura was born. I literally had been praying, "God, if it's your will that I work, please let Sandy offer me part-time work with full benefits." I'm not sure how long I prayed that prayer, but when I approached Sandy about working part-time, this is what she offered me: 20 hours with full benefits, which was exactly what I had been praying for. I also knew that usually this was not allowed in the company which made me know absolutely the answer was from God. To have doubted would have been an insult to Him. He gave me exactly what I had asked for, worked everything out for my good, and gave me an opportunity to exalt Him.
Another time, much later in my life, I was praying for a part-time job, but only if I didn't have to look for it. I wanted God to make it perfectly clear if it was His will for me to work or not. One day I was walking down the street to Phil's office when MaryEllen Self poked her head out of her boss's door and said, "Hey Teresa, do you know anyone who'd like to have a part-time job that pays lots of money?" Duh!!!!!!!!!!! I said, "Yes, I do." And the rest is history. I interviewed and took the job with the Social Security Administration as the reporter for the Administrative Law Judges. I had the job for about five years.
I have said many times, that you'd better watch what you pray for, because God just might give it to you....and He's proven over and over to me that He will.
4) Have I sought counsel from others?
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
When I was 29 and considering whether to have major surgery, the one person who helped me the most was someone who had been in my position. She was very young with small children and going into, not one, but two major surgeries which were to take place at the same time, which was exactly my predicament. I felt like she, of all people, knew what lay ahead of me. She prepared me more mentally and emotionally than anyone, because she had been in my shoes. I sought counsel from many doctors instead of just one. If they concurred, I felt I was equipped to make the right decision. I decided to go on and have the surgery but the surgery did not turn out the way I expected. What was to be a normal four hour surgery, turned into a major blunder that led to another four hour surgery, which led to a 10 day hospital stay, a six weeks recuperation period, my mother and father-in-law moving in with us, and me doubting both my decision and God. I had no idea at the age of 29 that this was going to be the most life-changing event I would have in fifty years. I am now fifty-two and nothing has ever come so close to being this life-changing. Did I think at the time that God was going to use this for His glory and my benefit? Absolutely not. I thought this was the worst thing that had ever happened to me, even though I had sought counsel and trusted God to see me through it. In no way, did I believe, after the fact, that the surgery was God's will for me. But God knew more than I could possibly ask or imagine and the mistake I thought I had made by having this surgery, turned out to be the very avenue God used to bring about a greater good for my life.
In making wise decisions, we have to understand that God's timing is everything. When God says "no" He has a better answer. If one door closes another door opens. These are two cliche's that really are real. Whether we believe them or not, I have proven them many times over. With my surgery in 1984 came a major suicidal depression for me, which resulted in ten years of discovering who I was and who God is. During that time I developed a very close relationship with Him, even though I considered those years almost wasted at the time. I saw no good in them, whatsoever, but God used those years to refine me so I could give hope to others who suffer from depression. The video series I produced in 2005, technically came about because of my decision to have surgery in 1984. God's timing is everything and some of our decisions that look like they are wrong, may be exactly the right ones, but in God's time.
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