4 minute read
By Bethany Rees

Have you ever been faced with a big decision where you felt riddled with indecision and anxiety?

You know, a hard situation where you pray and ask God what you should do? 

For decades, I would ask God this question when I was faced with big decisions in life, like whether or not I should change jobs/careers or move states. Oh sure I pray smaller prayers like at dinner time, but the personal and deep prayers usually came when I was at a crossroads and didn’t know what to do. 

Yep, for the big crossroads, I was always sure to pray “extra hard” for wisdom and discernment so I could follow God’s will for my life. 

With big decisions I would often feel like I was paralyzed from analyzing the options laid before me. And when God didn’t send me my “burning bush” signal, I would be riddled with anxiety for fear of making the wrong choice. 

The reason I felt paralyzed and anxious was because I often didn’t feel like I had clarity or confidence in what God wanted for my life. But experience and quiet time with God has taught me that I’ve had the wrong perspective and was asking the wrong question for these big decisions.

First in considering my wrong perspective, I used to think that God was a performance-based God that would keep a tally sheet of my mistakes and then smite me when I got out of line. 

I was afraid of disappointing God so those big decisions carried extra weight on my shoulders. I thought I couldn’t afford to make a wrong choice. 

However, by spending more time with God in His word and in prayer (and with the support of a Freedom Bible Study…watch the intro video here), I realized I had the wrong perspective of God.

God is not a performance-based God  that demands I earn His love. He gives His love (and forgiveness and salvation and wisdom and, and, and...) freely to all.  

Understanding this truth released me from the weight of there being only 1 right answer when it came to those big decisions. 

Second, I was asking the wrong question. I was asking for clarity and confidence in knowing God’s will for my life, but the truth is I should always have clarity and confidence in knowing God’s will period. 

You see God’s will is bigger than my life decisions. So why do I fret over decisions as though God’s will coming to fruition depends on what I’m going to do?  As my Pastor, John Sherrill, often says: 

“we are a part of the story, but we’re not the point of the story.” 

I can get so caught up in the big decisions that I overlook and pretty much ignore the important daily decisions that I can make. Instead of fearing that I don’t have clarity on God’s will for my life, I can 100% have clarity AND confidence on how to live out God’s will daily. 

God’s will is always God’s will, no matter what job I have or what state I live in.

God’s will is always God’s will, no matter what decisions you’re facing. 

Because here’s the truth: 

You and I have always known the WHY of God’s will for our lives: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

You and I have always known the HOW of God’s will for our lives as Jesus explains in Mark 12:29-31:

"Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

WHY - God loves us, Jesus saves us. 

HOW - Love God, Love People

We know our WHY and we know our HOW, so really it’s only the WHAT we do in our lives for God’s will that is the real question. So whether I’m an educator or an entrepreneur, or whether I’m living in Texas or Arkansas…my WHY and my HOW does not change. 

So WHAT am I getting all worked up and anxious about in those big decisions? 

I DO in fact have complete clarity and confidence in the WHY and HOW for God’s will. 

So when it comes to the question of “WHAT is God’s will for my life?”, no matter the WHAT choice I make (with the guidance of God’s wisdom and discernment)...my daily WHY and HOW will not change in my life.

I will still be focused on Jesus as my Savior, loving God, and loving people.  

Know Better. Do Better. Live Better. Do God’s Will Daily.

Rocks before Sand!

Scripture: 

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

~John 6:38

Theme Song: 

Thy Will - Hilary Scott & The Scott Family

References Used:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.