It seems basic, but truly having the ability to make decisions goes beyond ourselves. Everyday we make countless decisions without even thinking about them, and hundreds more that we do consciously consider, then there are also those decisions that are deeper. I’m talking about the choices that are in alignment with The Lord’s will. The ones we pray about and look to HIS word for guidance on. Lots to cover, so I’m breaking this shift down into two easy to digest posts. The unexpected thing is, the smaller choices also have the ability to be made based solely on HIS perfect will. This is something that I truly had to be placed into “the unknown” to fully understand, and come to practice well. It was when I was in the thick of it that it hit me; behind all of this, everything I do, always lies one choice among the options that is within the perfect will of God. And trust me, this is from experience, it is not a concept made up by over-spiritualizing the everyday.
So let’s start part one with the spiritual side of things, shall we? As a result of having a total reliance on discernment within the Holy Spirit alone, one may think that my decision making has grown to be able to make a decision for myself in a way that is never ever wrong, but it’s the opposite really. I have grown to understand the unique language of The Holy Spirit within me to the point that I don’t dare try to make any decision for myself. Instead, choices are made based on a concept even Jesus Himself couldn’t find words to describe, often referring to things beyond our understanding. The shift to total dependence on something that wasn’t me, but was within me oddly enough provided a growth for me in understanding truths for myself. Truths, my friends, are those biblical concepts that we all have a longing to hold in our heart, and not just have a mental knowledge of.
When leading a study of new believers in Cambodia through the Bible, having an understanding of truths for myself was crucial. Out of the past 11, there is not a single country that comes to mind in which I wasn’t called to give a message, a sermon, teach a bible study, or share how God has had HIS hand in my life. Surely having been raised in a Christian home, afforded the privilege of a Catholic high school, and Christian College it may seem obvious that such requests would be easy for me. But God wants more for us than to simply have all the head knowledge. When HE led me to places on the other side of the globe, far from my theology textbooks, without an Internet connection, or any of the resources I had spent so much of my life not only turning to, but relying on, shift happened!
The responsibility to lead my teammates through a Bible study, who by the way, is made up of six other intelligent, God fearing women was upon me; I had to make a decision on what I was teaching meant to me. Did I mention there was NO INTERNET?… There wasn’t any Internet! That meant I couldn’t type the scripture into google to find study outlines, I couldn’t do a keyword search on Joyce Meyer’s site to see how she had interpreted the passage, and I couldn’t download and binge listen to every podcast on iTunes ever mentioning the particular chapter that I had to present! Instead, I had to do this really basic concept of reading, understanding, and concluding The Word for myself in order to teach it. No historical data to add. No “expert” opinion. Just me and my Bible.
Yet, in all actuality I am the expert, for I am a child of God and have experienced the same God that is in the Bible, working firsthand in my life. Full of real God experiences that can be added to the ones of those in The Bible. So I incorporated my life stories into my teachings. I should say, it’s not that I hadn’t understood things before, because I most certainly did, but my understanding was seldom the conclusion that I had come to without others. Which is such a shame, because I would miss out entirely on the connection between my experiences and those of Christ. Or wouldn’t even notice some things God had done in my life, and the Biblical connections. All because I was too busy looking for someone else’s opinion or story.
In shifting to Christ’s opinion being the only one I seek, my eyes have been opened to truths of my future, that my faith and hope can better rely on, having seen the ways different scripture applies uniquely to my past. Therefore, my hope, trust, and faith are ALL made stronger, having this foundation. The decision was never to understand or not, but instead a shift to make decisions for myself on particular viewpoints and opinions that rely on this foundation. My life has been unique, and away from the opinions of the world’s experts, stitched together with the Spirit in my heart, I found the one expert opinion that will apply to this unique life that I am living, my opinion. When applied to the decisions that face me, there is freedom.
My next posting (part 2) will explore some of the more obvious decisions we all face, and the extreme circumstances I was placed in, upon making them.
xo
Lauren
Let us center our gaze, and seek understanding through wisdom provided to us by the Spirit within. .jpeg&maxwidth=640)
