Divine Guidance

Recently I received an email from a young man asking advice in determining God’s will for his life. He was looking for divine guidance regarding career and marriage and frankly, escaping what appeared to be a dead-end career-path in a location he believed to be detrimental to his spiritual life. Here’s how he put the question: “I would really appreciate your help in determining when God is trying to tell me something and when I’m simply hearing the normal voices in my head. How can a person claim to follow God if he cannot tell what God wants him to do?”

I thought it was a great question and was honored that he was interested in my thoughts on the subject of divine guidance. I began with a practical first step, “Seek godly advisors who love you and want God’s best for you, and that starts with your parents. Did you talk to your mom and dad about the direction you’re considering?” To which he replied, “I did. They said to call you.”

So I went on to my next piece of great wisdom: “God is more concerned with your character than your job. He is more interested in kind of husband you will be than the person you will marry. His primary directive is to love your neighbor wherever you live. You find this kind of clear direction in God’s Word.”

His response was, “Ok, but that still doesn’t tell me if the voices in my head telling me to move to a different state and look for a new career are from God or not.”

While I do indeed believe our character and remaining obedient to God in the basic commands to love Him and our neighbor are central to God’s will for us, I also believe He leads us in very specific ways as well. God didn’t call Abraham and then say, “Just wander in whatever direction you want as long as you have faith and love.” He said, “Leave your father’s house and go to the land I will show you.”

I asked that young man what he really wanted, what were the deepest desires of his heart? “I want to be good husband and father,” he replied, “and I want to leave this place.”

Those kinds of desires are from God. The desire to love, to serve, and to make the world a better place are from God. Desires that are essentially selfish are never from God. Desires that seem neither good nor bad are sometimes difficult to discern whether they come from our own hearts or from God. That’s where faith comes in. God may or may not be leading in a certain direction, but when we feel he is leading in a certain direction, after much prayer and seeking godly counsel, it’s time to take a step of faith. Why would we think that the God who requires faith to be saved would not require faith to follow his specific guidance? As the writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) (NIV) We can be certain of God’s love and presence when we are unsure of His specific direction. Faith requires taking a step when the way ahead is dark.

Do we hear God perfectly every time? No. But, the beautiful thing about God is that he is fully capable of bringing correction to our direction.