An Open Letter to the One Struggling to Decide:
Hello, Dearest Friend.
I am so incredibly sorry that you’re going through this time of uncertainty. If I could take away the storm of pain and confusion you’re in the midst of, I would. With that, I hope you see that all my words come from a place of love, even if some of them sting. It’s my prayer that this letter helps you see God, His plan, your free will, and leaves you comforted and uplifted.
I’m convinced that you’ve been praying about this. So, I’m not going to waste my breath telling you to begin there. The next step is to get other people involved. Seek out those who you know love God, and love you. That is the most important part. Next, make sure you see evidence of wisdom in their lives, for God gives it to all who search for it. Anyone can give advice, but only a few can point you in the direction of the cross. Use your discernment in seeking these people out. Tell them what’s going on. Lay it all out there; the good, the bad, the ugly. Cry, laugh, and be confident in their presence. Ask them to pray for you, and over your situation. Give them permission to ask their prayer warriors to join them in seeking out God’s will. They don’t have to share your situation with others, just that you’re searching for guidance. Then, give them time to talk with God, and listen for His voice.
While you wait, get honest with yourself. Take a step back, and observe the situation from the outside. What is eternally important, and what is personal desire? As much as I love you Friend, your feelings, and even your logic, aren’t as important as eternal security. What is going to draw people towards God? What is going to be a stumbling block in their path? We belong to one another, and our choices are never just about us. What is God actually whispering to you, and what are your own desires? Be brutally, painfully honest. Check your motives for each option, and measure it against the Word of God.
As you continue doing these things, and you still have no clear direction, know that sometimes God leaves the choices up to you. He created us with free will, and that doesn’t go away once we decide to follow Him. Sometimes, even when we’re seeking His guidance, He gives us options. Why? Maybe because He cares less about the destination than the person we become along the way. While you should go before the throne confident that He knows best, if you don’t receive an answer, be prepared that He may be leaving this one up to you. Trust that God will guide you and strengthen you, regardless of what path you choose. Because, while it is your decision, He still knows how it’s going to turn out.
I know going through this can be scary. But please remember that as you are searching for God, He is drawing closer to you. He has promised you so many things! You have unknown amounts of people praying for you. You have the God who makes rivers in the wastelands, gives sight to the blind, and brings the dead back to life on your side. You will hear from Him again. You will make a decision, and walk more confidently with each step.
And, if you happen to make a poor decision, please remember that we serve the God of grace and mercy. You aren’t doomed to His “second best” for the rest of your life. Mistakes happen. Sins happen. But repentance brings forgiveness, and His mercy is unending. There is hope. It is okay to not be okay. But God loves you too much to let you stay that way.
If you want to test my words against the Word of God, please do! I’ll include a list of verses I think are relevant to this letter to get you started. My prayers are with you, Friend. And I am confident that you will come out of this stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
Tabitha
Relevant Verses:
- Jeremiah 29:11-13
- “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.’”
- Proverbs 13:20
- “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm”
- James 5:16b
- “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
- Colossians 1:9
- “…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
- Galatians 1:10
- “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
- Romans 12:2-5
- “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
- Psalm 139:23-24
- “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:23
- “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’ – but not everything is constructive.”
- Romans 8:38-39
- “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Ephesians 1:15-21
- “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.”
This list is by no means exhaustive. Please dig into the Word and see for yourself!
