Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose – Psalm 25:12 (NIV)
Waiting is a virtue that is foreign to the people of this world but for us as the children of God; it should be part of our daily lives especially as we wait on God’s directions to make life decisions.
Generally success bothers mostly on the decisions we make daily. For some, the decisions made decades ago are currently having serious consequences and impact on their lives, either negatively or positively. In fact there are some decisions such as career choices and choosing of a life partner, which when made may not be easily undone or reversed, hence making rash decisions in such moments and in general, will not only affect our lives but also the lives of those around us. This is why waiting on God’s guidance as Christians before making any decisions becomes very important.
Many people don’t even care to seek God’s guidance, relying solely on their intellect. Even when they do, they are not patient enough to hear what He has to say or don’t trust what He says. Then they end up frustrated, uncertain and confused. As Christians, we ought to be role-models to the world in making good decisions since we have a God who is willing to give us clarity and lead us to making right choices.
David is a man who sought God’s opinion for virtually every decision he took; no wonder God says he is a man after His own heart. Psalm 25:12 teaches that those who seek the Lord for directions must have a reverent fear towards Him because without that it will be impossible to obey His instructions.
In order to hear God’s direction for making the right decisions, we must:
- clear our hearts of sin – Isaiah 59:2
This is because sin clouds our mind like a fog. Therefore each time we pray, we must confess and repent of our sins and ask for cleansing from God from all filthiness.
- bring our desires to a place of Neutrality
Without this it becomes difficult to accept what God says especially when it conflicts with what we want.
- We need to exercise patience – Psalm 25:3
For human beings in general, every decision is very urgent but for God not all decisions are. We must be patient with God by submitting to his timing. Impatience with God is a clear sign of lack of faith in Him
- We need to be alert to external and internal pressures
We must not allow pressures from others and even ourselves to compel us into making rash decisions especially when waiting on God. External pressures include those from family members, friends and neighbours. We must use God’s word to discern if their advice are right – Col. 3:16
Internal pressure is usually a consequence of fear. The feeling of fear should not stop us from taking advantage of the opportunities that the Lord presents to us. We should be bold in making decisions especially when God instructs us. We must understand that God can lead us into unpopular decisions that no one else will understand but we must be ready to make that first bold step.
- We must persist in prayer:
Not getting an immediate answer when we pray does not mean God doesn’t hear us. Persistence in prayer requires patience and it also tests the endurance of our faith in God.
- We must regard God’s servants and trust that God has placed them in our lives to help us make difficult decisions – Heb. 13:17:
This is an aspect most Christians struggle with because they see God’s minister as just another human being and not as God appointed authority or servants hence they are not keen to trust their advice.
- We must have peace
When we know that the guidance we seek is from God, and that the decision we have made is based on His direction, then we will have peace in our hearts – Philippians 4: 6 – 7.