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Questions about: Guidance
Brianna: (10/02/09) How do you know that when you feel called somewhere it isn't just because you love it, but rather it is because God wants you to be there? Sometimes God doesn't call us in a way that we can literally hear him... Brianna

Jack: Brianna, for most of us, finding God’s will and guidance is often a complex experience. Some suggestions: • Since God has created us to fulfill His will and purposes for our lives, it should not be surprising to us that deep within us we find a special joy in what He calls us to do, although we may fear the cost. • Since we may confuse our desires with God’s will, it is helpful to spend time in the Lord’s presence and ask for His confirmation that may come through a passage of Scripture in our devotional life, a sense of or lack of peace within is, or objective situations that just don’t fit. • It is also helpful to consult several mature Christian friends and ask their advice.

As these different elements converge as we wait before the Lord, we begin to see a pattern emerging. But be warned: when you make the best decision possible, in the light of the above, don’t be surprised if the plans seem to fall apart. Bill Gothard calls this the syndrome of “The vision, the death of the vision, and the realization of the vision.” This is a pattern that is common in Scripture. For example: the disciples’ vision of Jesus being a great leader; their discouragement when He was crucified; the realization of the vision when He rose from the dead.

May the Lord guide you as you consider God’s call.

Jack

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