Aligning Yourself With God's Willনমুনা

Why a Sacred Pace Is Needed

I’d prepared myself for business success my entire life. I got involved in almost every service organization and school club possible—and sought to be a leader in each of them. But one issue always hindered me when it came to my choices: I was an extreme people pleaser. I avoided positions that might mean making decisions that would offend people. This was an insecurity I took with me into college and beyond. During college I did a lot of notable things, the best of which was marrying my highschool sweetheart, Doris, my junior year. But I never did feel at peace about me. 

Nevertheless, I believed that my future in business was bright and that my greatest successes were just around the corner. I started to work, eager to succeed, and over time was promoted four times in six years. Yet I yearned for more—to be an entrpreneur, to have my own thing. Eventually I had the opportunity to help launch a startup company. My addiction to success and my lust for money couldn’t have been a better match, and all the overtime hours helped our company grow rapidly.

The pace was wearing me out. In time, my excessive drive to succeed became so stressful that it affected my health, and my marriage was also struggling. There was a time when everything I thought I knew about who I was and what mattered most came crashing down around me. Because of nonstop work, meetings, and cross-country travel—all in pursuit of the glorious dollar—I became mentally and emotional immobilized. No fortune could fix what I was dealing with. I was at the point where dollars didn’t matter. They weren’t even part of the equation. Suddenly, I wanted to be well, not wealthy. 

In this terrifying turn of events, I would’ve given every penny that was coming to me if only I could have myself back. My breakdown was the best thing that could have happened for my future. It brought me to a place where I finally acknowledged that God was in control, not me. And I worked to submit myself to His will in all things. I developed a process that allows me to hear God’s voice and obey—to wait on God for both His timing and His will in my decisions. This process has brought me clarity and complete peace from the Lord and I have never been disappointed by the outcome. Not once.

You can move forward at God’s direction, too, with the assurance of having chosen wisely. Whatever decision you’re facing, there is a practical, tangible way for you to join pace with God to discover His will and obtain His specific direction. If you’re a Christian—someone who has accepted Christ as your Savior—you have His Holy Spirit within you to help you and the Word of God to further guide you. That’s one thing I’m most excited about: any follower of Christ can learn to reach this sacred pace where the voice of God can be most clearly heard.

Respond

What process do you currently use to make important decisions?

How would you describe God’s place in your life right now?

What motivates you to make changes in the way you manage your job and daily life?