Suppose, you have an idea that God wants you to take on specific role of ministry or course of action, how do you know for sure if God is the one prompting you to act?
Years ago in a BSF class, we were given 4 guidelines for determining whether a course of action was in accord with God’s will. As I remember they were:
1. Pray about it asking God to make His will clear to you. God promises wisdom to those who ask, James 1:5.
2. Is it in accord with and backed up by God’s Word?
3. Do circumstances confirm and support this decision?
4. Do you have God’s peace about the decision?
When we considered moving house, we had these 4 principles in mind.
Another aspect I remember from bible study was an injunction to first find the church to belong to, where God’s Word was faithfully taught, then look for a house in an area near that church. This is what we did.
We found a house we considered perfect for us. Circumstances seemed to suggest it was right. We prayed if it was not right,God would shut the door. He did. The buyers for our house pulled out of the sale ensuring we had to let the house we liked go, since we needed money from the sale to buy. It was back to waiting on God.
In time, God brought a buyer for our house in Orange. By then the house we liked down the coast had had been sold. Now what? Even after we had sold our house in Orange and determined the area where God wanted us to live and which we could afford, how did we know which house to buy? We started the process again of house hunting again. After looking at a number we narrowed it down to two houses we really liked.We couldn’t decide.
My husband half-jokingly said it would be easier if God put a big cross in the sky over the house we should buy. We prayed, asking God to make clear to us which house to buy and that He would clearly shut the door on the one we were not to buy. We made an offer on one house, ignoring the slight element of unease, only partly because it was a bit more expensive than we could really afford. We’d forgotten principle 4 about God’s peace about the situation. God hadn’t.
Our offer was knocked back. Instead of sadness, we felt relief. A short time later, the owner of that place pulled the house off the market, deciding he didn’t want to sell after all. That door was definitely closed. We immediately offered on the second place. This time we knew God’s peace about the decision. The offer was accepted. We were ecstatic.
We took photos of the house to show family and friends. To remind us of all God had in store, my husband put a photo of the house on my computer. When I looked at the photo, I could scarcely believe my eyes. Above the house, two clouds intersected in a perfect cross. We had a laugh and praised God.
Circumstances confirmed our decision. Because the previous owner had already moved on, it was easier for us to settle quickly and move in. As we look around us now, we feel blessed and thank God every day for the place He has brought us to and for the way He directed us to the right church and then the right house.
Please visit these related blogs
How Can You Know God’s Will For Your Life?
How Can You Know God’s Will For Your Life?- Part 2
How Can You Know God’s Will for your Life – Part 3