Over the past ten days, I have had a decision in my life. After a friend listened to my story, he presented me with this:
When a ship comes off a large body of water and enters the mouth of a river in the dark, the pilot wants to ensure that they are in the center of the channel, lest they run aground on rocks. And so they look to line up a series of beacons floating in the river mouth. When they are all lined up with one another, they know that they are in the channel and can safely proceed forward. Likewise, God has provided multiple beacons to provide direction and guidance for us when we are determining whether to proceed, and whether we are in the center of his will. His Word – Are there biblical mandates, prohibitions, or principles that apply to the action I’m considering. His People – What do others who know me, know God, and know his Word advise me concerning this action? His Spirit – What inner prompting am I sensing about this action as I pray about it? Circumstances – for too many people, this is the only consideration (“Wow, God opened the door for this. It must be his will.”). While circumstances must be considered, it is subject to interpretation through the other categories.
Do you wait for all 4 to be lined up before you proceed? Probably not. But you better have more than one pointing in the same direction – lined up – or you risk running aground.
When a ship comes off a large body of water and enters the mouth of a river in the dark, the pilot wants to ensure that they are in the center of the channel, lest they run aground on rocks. And so they look to line up a series of beacons floating in the river mouth. When they are all lined up with one another, they know that they are in the channel and can safely proceed forward. Likewise, God has provided multiple beacons to provide direction and guidance for us when we are determining whether to proceed, and whether we are in the center of his will. His Word – Are there biblical mandates, prohibitions, or principles that apply to the action I’m considering. His People – What do others who know me, know God, and know his Word advise me concerning this action? His Spirit – What inner prompting am I sensing about this action as I pray about it? Circumstances – for too many people, this is the only consideration (“Wow, God opened the door for this. It must be his will.”). While circumstances must be considered, it is subject to interpretation through the other categories.
Do you wait for all 4 to be lined up before you proceed? Probably not. But you better have more than one pointing in the same direction – lined up – or you risk running aground.
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