Tag Archives: Decision Making

5 Ways to Know if Something is From God

Where should we live? What should I do? How can we know? It's hard to know if something is from God! These 5 tried and true steps will help. #Prayer #BibleStudy #KnowGod'swill #CountingMyBlessings

Do you ever wonder whether you are following God’s will or plan for you?

Do you worry that you might be headed in the wrong direction?

Do you wish God would write His will for your day on your to-do list?

Yep, me too!

Since his ordination, Rev has received calls to serve at various ministries and I’ve had to decide whether I should go back to teaching full-time, part-time or if I should stay at home.

And work is just the beginning, isn’t it?

How many children should we have? Where should our children go to school or should we homeschool? Where should we live? Is that the right house for us? The right church family? When should I retire?

What should I do?

The questions go on and on.

Sometimes it’s easy to tell where God wants us, other times are harder.

Life decisions can cause some of the greatest stress in our lives.

So the question we all want to know is…

[Tweet “How can you and I know if something is from God?”]

There are some things we can do to test a situation as we ask for God’s guidance and seek His will.

Where should we live? What should I do? How can we know? It's hard to know if something is from God! These 5 tried and true steps will help. #Prayer #BibleStudy #KnowGod'swill #CountingMyBlessings

5 Ways to Know if Something is From God

1. Pray

Begin with prayer. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is.

Start by asking God to show you His specific will for you in this situation.

Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. Jeremiah 42:3

2. Glorify God

Ask – Does this glorify God?

[Tweet “God will never guide you to do something that will not give Him glory.”]

Ask yourself, “Does this bless my relationship with my family? Does it make it possible for me to serve others? What will my attitude be if I do this? Etc.”

Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:13

3. Agree with Scripture

Does it agree with Scripture?

God gave us His Word to show us His will. You and I can trust the counsel of the Bible.

You never have to ask God if it’s His will for you to embezzle from your employer or dish the latest dirty detail about your neighbor.

 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

4. Be Willing to Wait

Be patient. God’s will is worth the wait. Trust His timing.

If something is God’s will, He will guide you while you wait and bring it to pass. Don’t rush it – when the timing is right God will let you know.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

5. Trust God to accomplish His will in your life

God will fulfill His promises and accomplish His will for you.

I’ll admit, I’ve gotten impatient at times. I want a clear answer and I want it now! But I’ve learned I can watch and wait . . . God will do what He says He will do, and He will accomplish His will.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Not everything in life is clear. There will be times when you will do all the above and still be uncertain about God’s direction for you.

That’s okay.

You can trust that if God wants something specific in your life He will guide you to it.

If you’ve gone through the 5 step process and still have no clear answer . . . just keep moving. Make a choice. The good news is if you are trusting and glorifying God with your life you can move ahead confidently.

Where should we live? What should I do? How can we know? It's hard to know if something is from God! These 5 tried and true steps will help. #Prayer #BibleStudy #KnowGod'swill #CountingMyBlessings

Rev and I have had times when the choice was clear . . . so clear in fact, we had to change our plans midway.

We’ve occasionally used a “fleece” to ask God for guidance. You can read about Gideon and how he used a fleece to confirm God’s direction, here. No, we haven’t actually asked God to leave dew on lamb’s wool but we have asked Him to clearly show us His will through events that made it easier for us to make decisions.

And I will honestly tell you, there have been a few times when we went through our list of five and still felt uncertain about what we should do.

So, we just lived each day…

And you can too!

Trust God’s love . . . lean into His grace and mercy. You can be confident that God will make any specific plans He has for you clear. You don’t have to live in fear of His displeasure when you seek His will through these 5 steps.

Pray, glorify God, study the Scripture, be willing to wait, and trust God’s ability to work in your life.

Your Father is with you.

He wants what is best for you and He is able to accomplish it!

Go for it! Live your life for His glory and honor. Praise Him!

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11–13

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What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

Sometimes knowing what to do is easy. Other times, more often than we'd like, choices are unsettling. You want to make wise decisions, but...

Your daughter is worried about her friend’s choices.
Your boss asked you to make a questionable deal.
You witness a mom losing it with her toddler at the grocery store.
Your son says he hates school and doesn’t want to go anymore.
You know you should confront your friend about her gossiping, but when and how?
Your neighbor’s dog barks 24/7 and it’s making you crazy.

Every day what now decisions.

You have a job offer in another state.
You want to homeschool but your husband isn’t sure.
Your doctor wants you to try a new medication and you’re not sure.
You like your church, but your children say they hate it.
You’d like to go on a mission trip but can’t decide which one.

Thankfully less frequent difficult what now decisions.

Sometimes knowing what to do is easy. You look at right vs. wrong and even though it’s not what you want to do, you know what you should do.

Other times, more often than we’d like, choices are unsettling. Your options go in dozens of directions and you have no idea what to do. You want to make the wise decision, but it’s just not clear.

I’ve had to make plenty of complicated decisions and I wish I could give you a quick and easy formula that could make every decision easy or at least, easier.

I don’t.

All I can tell you are some things that help me. What I do when I don’t know what to do. Lessons learned the hard way.

Times I:

  • Let fear paralyze me.
  • Let the wrong person lead me to make the wrong decision.
  • Let anger lead me to react badly.
  • Let the crowd lead.
  • Let my need for control . . . control.

And learning what not to do helps you and me know what to do. So here are…
Sometimes knowing what to do is easy. Other times, more often than we'd like, choices are unsettling. You want to make wise decisions, but...

8 Things to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

1. Admit you don’t know what to do. – It’s okay that some decisions are hard. It’s just part of life. Admitting that a decision is difficult helps keep your thoughts clear by minimizing worry and fear.

 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6–7

2. Ask yourself if any part of the decision is clearly right or wrong. – Wisdom is knowing the difference between right and wrong. It’s knowing God’s commands and being willing to follow them. Even in difficult decisions there are ways to move forward in obedience, and a willingness to obey makes us more sensitive to God’s direction. Start by doing the things you know you should do even if it’s just a small part of the decision.

He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will. With faithfulness and love He leads all who keep His covenant and obey His commands. Psalm 25:9–10

3. Pray about it. – I believe God wants us to ask Him for His counsel. What to do and when to do it. He invites us to pray about everything. I frequently pray…

Lord, I don’t know what to do, but You know. Please show me what to do, when to do it, and how to best glorify You. Show me Your will. Help me to know the truth in this situation. Soften hearts. Clear minds. And give me Your courage and strength. In Jesus name. Amen. 

4. Be still and wait for His answer. – Trust God’s timing and ability to guide a heart and mind yielded to Him. He may be working things out in ways you can’t see. He may be teaching you through the waiting process. Trust Him and be patient.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5–6

5. Do what you can. Research. Ask a wise mentor. – When it comes to a move, job change, or whether or not to home school your children. Do your research. Ask for advice. See if the answers you find match well with your goals . . . which means you must have goals and know them.

Goals help you overcome short-term problems. ~Hannah More

6. Listen to and value the thoughts of the other people involved. – Almost every decision you and I make impacts the people around us. Valuing their thoughts on a decision is an important way to show them you love them. It doesn’t mean you will be able to do what they want, but listening and letting them know they matter will bless your relationship and your decisions.

The mind of a person with understanding gets knowledge; the wise person listens to learn more. Proverbs 18:15

7. Ask yourself how you would advise someone in a similar situation. – Sometimes just asking yourself how you’d counsel a friend can help you gain perspective and objectivity.

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. Proverbs 19:20

8. Ask yourself . . . what’s the loving thing to do? – Let love win. Love is always the right thing to do. The answer to that question may make your decision easier than you think. 

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

The 8-step process isn’t fast or easy, but with God’s help it can lead us to make wiser choices and in the end, that’s exactly what will make us happier and more content.

Did I miss anything? What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

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