Decisions, decisions... Finding the will of God in a complex world
Lawrence and Diana Osborn
Another good book to read especially when you are in a situation of deciding what would you want to do in the future.
How do we find the will of God in this complex world? How our decisions affect others especially our loved ones? How do we know that is what God had called us to do? What is required of us?
After reading and digesting the perspectives of Lawrence and Diana Osborn, I find that our Lord is like a shepherd who actively looks after us in every decision we make. How do we know that? First of all, we must know Him personally through prayer and reading of His words. He is always faithful in leading and guiding His people in the Old Testaments as we read. Even in the New Testament, He continually affirmed His people to continue to walk with Him by following Jesus’ examples. God gives and respects our freedom in our decision (He does not point a gun to our head and tell us to do what He tells us to do).
We also ought to listen expectantly. Reading the Bible daily also allows God to speak to us. We do not pray and open the Bible randomly and read a verse. Then, conclude that God wants us to go into ministry. It is a process. As you read daily, God would speaks through the words and allow you to response towards it.
In every decision making, it is important to KNOW YOURSELF: your passion and your gifts. We are all gifted in different areas so that is also why we are all called to do different works in this world. Everyone is unique in their own ways.
We must also fill ourselves with information. Being informed is more than just listening passively but it is to avail ourselves with information that can be obtained from media. I would like to highlight that “THE NEED IS NOT A CALL”. There are a lot of needs around, but there is only so much we can do. We can take the need into consideration to our decision-making.
Personal advices from people who know you are very important as they see different ability that we often overlook ourselves. Remember to keep your people who you asked small in numbers. Advices from family, friends and spiritual leaders are valuable in our decision-making. Prayerful decision is time-consuming. Yet, in our society time is scarce. On top of it all, we must allow God to intervene and influenced our decision-making.
Decision-making is a very personal matter, not mechanical. So, we must give time to let it sink into our mind. Seeking God’s will is like giving birth to dream, IT TAKES TIME! Being silent gives space for us to listen to what God is SPEAKING to us.
To confirm one’s decision, always remember NO SECOND BEST. Always gives God the BEST in everything that we do as an individual. I should not only look at material blessings. Instead, as I lived out the decision that was made, how I have grown as a Christian. Moreover, being at PEACE with the decision that was made is important. Peace plays a significant part in the process of seeking God’s will.
In our decisions, our attitudes should be a beloved child rather than an anxious servant.
One mark of a good dancer who dances to God’s will is precisely a capacity to response creatively to the music. So it is with God’s will: what God expects of us is not blind obedience but the kind of voluntary self-abondonment that creatively interprets the tune he is playing. 