Day 8: Misconceptions About God’s Guidance

We have discussed eight positive principles for decision-making. Today, let’s consider eight potential misconceptions or pitfalls when making decisions.

1. I must pray about each decision I make.

Some decisions follow logically from others, and we do not need to pray about those. If you decide to go to college, you do not need to ask God whether you should attend classes and do the required work. Many other decisions, like what to eat and how to behave in social situations, are matters of common sense.

2. God’s will is often contrary to human reason.

Although God’s thoughts are much higher than our own, this does not mean that His will for our lives is erratic and peculiar. He gave us a rational capacity and wants us to use it. He calls us to submit our thinking to the truths of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Spirit will then work in us to give us “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

God may indeed direct a believer to do something that does not seem to make sense. However, this is the exception, not the rule.

3. To submit to God’s will, I must give up my happiness.

God is not a “vindictive bully” or “moral monster” (as the famous atheist Richard Dawkins puts it). God doesn’t want us to be miserable.

On the contrary, God’s will for us is the only pathway to freedom, fulfillment, and joy (Psalm 37:4; John 15:11). He loves us and offers abundant life to those who walk in His ways (John 10:10).

4. If I follow God’s will, my problems will be over.

A quick reading of the book of Acts—or almost any book of the Bible—makes clear that an abundant life does not mean a trouble-free life. Obedience to God prevents and corrects many problems. But it does not exempt a believer from trials and temptations.

An obedient Christian may or may not be successful in the eyes of other people. God’s standard of success is different from the world’s. We cannot serve both (Matthew 6:24).

5. If I stray too far from God’s will, He won’t be able to use me again.

God does not exempt us from the consequences and scars of sin. But this does not mean He puts us on the shelf.

When we acknowledge our sins, God forgives and cleanses us (Psalm 51:1–13; 1 John 1:9) so that we can be used again in His service. Numerous heroes of the Bible were also great sinners.

6. If I commit my life to God, He will want me to go to seminary.

God’s best for a person is not always career ministry. For some, it is, but most Christians are called to glorify Him in a “secular” context. It would be just as wrong for them to go into professional ministry as for vocational ministers to leave their jobs (unless God calls them to do so).

There is no such thing as a part-time Christian. We are all in full-time ministry. Our context just varies. We can honor Christ in any context (1 Corinthians 10:31).

7. I must have special confirmation before making important decisions.

If we heed the prerequisites and principles of guidance discussed earlier in this devotional, we can be sure that God will not reward our openness and obedience by clouding our choices.

We may not always have the subjective confirmation of peace about decisions that we cannot postpone. But this need not freeze us in our tracks. While in fellowship with God, we can make decisions without anxiety.

8. God wants me to respond to every need.

Not every cry for help is a call from God. We become ineffective if we take on more burdens than we can carry or spread ourselves too thin. We must be careful not to let the good become the enemy of the best. It is better to do a few things well than to multiply mediocrity.

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As we close this plan, may the following quote inspire you to pursue God’s will as a way of life—surrendering to Him daily. Frank Laubach wrote these words to describe the transformation that occurred in his life when he committed himself to God’s will for his life:

I never lived … until I reached the place where I wholly, with utter honesty, resolved and then re-resolved that I would find God’s will. … You and I shall soon blow away from our bodies. Money, praise, poverty, opposition, these make no difference, for they will all alike be forgotten in a thousand years, but this spirit which comes to a mind set upon continuous surrender, this spirit is timeless life.

Day 8 Scripture Readings:

1 Corinthians 10:31

Philippians 3:7–15

Ephesians 5:15–20

Call to Action

Was this plan helpful? We adapted its content from Think on These Things: Discerning the Will of God, a booklet produced by Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries. Purchase it and similar resources at http://reflections.org/shop.