When things aren’t falling in line for us in our lives we spend countless hours trying to figure out why. We rack our brains and lose sleep trying to figure it out and solve the problem ourselves. We spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on counselors and counseling sessions to find the answers. Unfortunately, many times we also turn to other things such as alcohol, drugs and sex to help us find the answer. But throughout all of this and all of the searching we still don’t find the answers we are looking for. We still don’t know why our lives seem so out of balance.
As I reflect on my life I can see times when my life was completely out of balance. And what is very apparent to me is during each of these periods in my life I was not aligned with God. When I look back at the times I have failed, each time I can see where my thoughts, practices and purpose were not in alignment with God’s purpose for me. And you know in most of those situations the signs were right there for me but I ignored them. The feeling I would get in the pit of my stomach telling me this was not the way to go or the decision to make. But many times I would just blow off that feeling and keep on going. I did not realize that feeling was the Spirit inside of me trying to guide me but I wouldn’t listen.
For many of us we aren’t sure when the Spirit is trying to align us with God’s plan for our lives. We don’t understand what that pit of the stomach feeling is trying to tell us. There are two things we can do to help us know when the Spirit is speaking to us.
One, we have to get in God’s Word! It wasn’t until I started reading and studying the Bible that I understood what God wanted for me. It is so important for us to read the Bible and see for ourselves what God has said in the past and the promises He has made to us. This is where we learn what God calls us to do, how he wants us to live, and how much He wants to bless our lives. God explained the importance of His word to Joshua in the Old Testament in Joshua 1:8 (NLT), “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night, so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
Second, we have to pray in all things. Philippians 4:6 (NLT), “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” It was when I started praying and talking to God on a regular basis that I started seeing and understanding His purpose for me. I had to spend that quiet time with God and ask Him if the decisions I’m about to make align with His plan for me. We have to develop a close relationship with God where we feel free to bring all our questions and concerns to Him so He can help guide us.
Once we do these two things a clearer picture will appear of where God wants to take our lives. But here’s the tough part, we have to allow ourselves to follow. I say this because not every path God has us follow is going to be an easy one. Sometimes in order to get where He wants to take us we may be uncomfortable and we may even struggle a bit. But this is where our faith and belief in Him and His promises come in. From being in His Word we know all the promises He has made to us if we follow Him and believe. We must be like Abraham in Romans 4:20 (NLT), “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger and in this he brought glory to God.”
I still struggle with having full faith in God and continually following the path He has laid out for me. I still question at times if my way isn’t a better, easier way to go. We all do this and we will always do this. The key I’ve learned is when those times come to take a moment to look back on what has happened when I’ve gone against God’s plan. Then compare that to what has happened those times when I’ve followed God’s plan. That comparison tells me all I need to know and helps put me back in focus. I urge you to try it the next time you feel like following your own path.
Being aligned with God is the much better option and will lead to the blessed life He has for each of us!
Truth in Love! ~ Chuck