If God only speaks through His word, how do we make decisions? Many aspects of our lives, such as where to work, who to marry, what to study, what ministry to do, etc, aren’t necessarily addressed or mentioned in the Bible.
Yet such temporary decisions have a considerable impact on our lives. So what are we to do?
In order to make decisions, we must consider two essential factors:
- Do my choices reflect God’s moral will and what He has revealed in wisdom? (What is God’s moral will? It is that we live pure lives, not fall into the trap of worldliness, not lie, not violate any of the Ten Commandments, etc.)
- Is my choice consistent with sound Godly principles/wisdom in Scripture?
If your choice complies with both of the above then you are FREE to make that choice. This does not limit however, the need and importance of prayer.
If we truly believe that Jesus is our shepherd and the Holy Spirit is always with us invisibly directing our lives then we should trust Him. Where God’s word speaks your obedience is imperative, but where the word is silent you are free to choose without fear of sinning against God.
If your mind is filled with God’s word and you are living a repentant free life you have the freedom to make decisions and trust that as you do God is working out His will in the process.
Another flaw with the teaching on trying to hear the voice of God is that some people struggle to make decisions as they are constantly waiting for sign(s).
But waiting for some divine call is something that is totally redundant to the Christian life. Even the apostles themselves did not seek God’s divine plan in every decision.
- They just did stuff trusting God would bless and work out all the details. In Acts 15:19, when they had a question related to idols and circumcision, they just made a decision saying “it seems right / it is my judgement.”
- Apostles did not wait for divine revelation or intervention before choosing deacons.
- The Apostle Paul spoke about his desire to visit Rome when he wrote to them (Romans 1). However, at no point did Paul mention, “God has revealed to me.” He just said to Rome, “I am coming, so that I can impart to you spiritual gifts, perhaps the Lord may grant that.” He did not wait for divine revelation, He just did it.
Alternatively, some may also ask “What if I make the wrong choice?”
The best part of having a trustworthy, sovereign Lord is that when we make a decision, we don’t have to worry about how our decisions will turn out in the future. It doesn’t matter if you think you made the wrong choice – the Bible says that God upholds all things by His word of power.
There is no atom in the world that is not held in place by the active extension of His power. He is in control of everything, and we can rest in His sovereignty.
Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
As Christians, we don’t have direct revelation from God today. However, there is an internal guidance that we receive from the Spirit of God.
It may not be appropriate to call this the “voice of God,” since the Bible does not use that language. A more appropriate term or language would be “this was the hand of God guiding my steps.”
It is God’s providential plan that sets things in motion for our lives. However, we will only be able to discern that in retrospect. When we look back on our lives, we can see why things happened, why we were led to certain places at the right time, etc. However, we cannot be sure of any of this while making decisions.
In one of his sermon titled “God’s guidance for today”, Don Green says the following;
“God’s will for your life is wisdom, and not private revelation.”
What does this mean? Simply put, Green is emphasizing that God’s will for believers is not about receiving mystical signs or private revelations for every decision we face. Instead, God desires that we grow in wisdom, which comes through the knowledge and application of His Word. This wisdom equips us to make decisions that align with His revealed moral will. Rather than passively waiting for a supernatural sign, believers are called to actively seek wisdom by immersing themselves in Scripture, praying for discernment, and trusting God’s sovereign guidance in their lives.
By relying on the wisdom God provides through His Word, we honor His design for decision-making rather than turning to speculative or mystical practices.The Spirit guides us in times of making decisions, also known as “subjective leading of the Spirit.” However, God does not always give you private revelations to make decisions.
It is foolish to claim that all our decisions require private, direct, or special revelation.
Some believers wait for months or even years for God to provide them with some super miraculous sign in order to make any decisions.
According to some people, God has a specific plan for your life and you must find it otherwise you will be outside of it. In other words, if you make the wrong decision, then you are living in the second will of God.
This kind of speculative / mystical living has no resemblance to the sovereign nature of God.
Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
The whole point of Sola Scripture (teaching that the Scriptures alone are sufficient) is that God has finished His revelation. As such, if a person’s life is not anchored in the truth of Scripture, they shouldn’t listen to voices on the outside, and even more caution should be used when listening to voices within.
What ministry should I serve in?
A lot of people have difficulty deciding what ministry they want to join because they don’t hear any audible callings from God.
If we look at the qualification to be an elder in the book of Timothy, Paul does not mention the requirement to have extra revelation from God. Instead he says “If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work” (1 Timothy 3:1).
So, if you want to know what ministry to serve in, find out what you desire, and what your gifts are, and trust God to lead you.
God has spoken to my heart
Some claim that “God has spoken to my heart” and insist that they are right.
How do we respond to statements like these?
It’s simple. The Bible clearly states that those who trust in their own hearts are fools (Proverbs 28:26). Further, it also states that the heart is prone to deception (Jeremiah 17:9). So is the heart really a place where we want God to speak to us?
Proverbs 28:26 (NKJV)
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)
“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
The heart is deceitful, and satan is a deceitful angel of light and so trying to define your life based on your “gooey feelings” or vague imaginations rather than the true and sure word of God is a recipe for disaster.
