The Next Right Thing A Devotional By Emily P. FreemanSample

Day 6

Don’t Rush Clarity

Proverbs 4:26

If you feel unable to think clearly about a decision, it’s tempting to think something is wrong with your process or that something is wrong with you. Here are two things you can release that could help you take your next right step.

One, let go of your timeline. It could be you’re anxious to make a decision simply because it’s nagging. This is legitimate and understandable. But in order to give yourself the space to receive clarity, maybe you need to let go of the expectation that clarity will come in a particular way or at a particular time.

Much of the rhetoric around our work and life is that if you have an idea but aren’t acting on it, then it means you’re nursing some brand of fear, insecurity, or immaturity. The advice surrounding this subject says you just need to put your head down, drink more coffee, and get to work! But some work grows slowly. Some ideas that take years to form. Is your vision strong enough to carry your soul through the foggy right-now? If it’s not, are you willing to listen to the still, small voice and believe it’s telling the truth? Can you hold on to your faith while you wait? 

Two, let go of your expectation of certainty. We must be patient. But we also must act, sometimes before everything is clear. If you think about holding a candle, you know that if you walk too fast, the flame will blink right out. You have to take slow, measured steps, maybe even block the candle from the wind. So, for now, walk slowly with the flame of your decision still lit, and keep asking your friend Jesus about the next step. If he lives within you, he speaks to you through his Word, his people, and your own deepest desires. Trust the voice that comes from within. If there’s a longing growing within you, or if you have an idea, a project, or work you can see in part if not in full, carry on. Walk slowly. Listen closely. And let that candle burn.

Read Psalm 37:23–24 as a prayer: The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.