"Do not be surprised when God leads you down a path that makes no earthly sense"

Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View

In my view. A great book. I rarely see it promoted in fundamentalist circles

I have pondered over this question myself, Jim. I would classify myself as a traditionalist, in that God does have a will for each of our own lives. I would caveat that, however, by stating that anybody who is waiting in his living room for a cosmic revelation (“Tyler! Thou shalt go forth and … “) is really off the mark.

Many times we only see God’s providential hand in our individual lives after the fact. When we are faced with important decisions, I truly believe we simply must pray, observe the Scriptures, seek wise council and, taking all this together, simply do what we feel is the right thing. There is no cosmic revelation. There is no miraculous thunderbolt or inner peace from God. That “inner peace,” or however you want to term it, sometimes comes after the fact. We grow in Christ by trusting Him, even in trials and circumstances when we’re terrified and frightened of the consequences of making the “wrong” decision.

Not sure if I made any sense, or just muddled the issue. This is a topic worth discussing.

I actually think Olson cites 1 Cor 1:27-29 out of context

The broader context is “the cross” (1 Cor 1:18). The text as far as I can see is NOT about how God leads us.

Agreed - it is out of context. My own text for God having a specific will for our lives, with the caveats I listed above, is Eph 2:8-10.

I’m really not sure exactly what “common sense” means any more.

I mean from the world’s standpoint this makes sense:

• Make as much $$ as you can.
• Don’t pick a low-paying career (I mean it would be a fool to be missionary or a pastor)
• Why get married before you “test drove the product”

So I agree with Olson that the Lord’s leading is contrary to the world’s thinking.

But God doesn’t expect us to leap off “the pinnacle of the temple”

I would agree with Tyler, with the focus being on prayer (our speaking to God) and Scripture reading (God speaking to us) as the conduit. It is all about making the right Biblical choice to a given circumstance and also realizing when it is important to include God and when it isn’t. I have seen people pray about the color of the new van that they are getting. To me that is probably taking it down too far.

The context was the 10 spies who brought back the bad report.

Teacher said we had to have faith as we follow God. The extremes to the left and right are foolishness and fear

It has been some time since I looked into the book “Decision Making in the Will of God”, so my recall may be a bit fuzzy, but the nature of my ministry has led to many fruitful and unfruitful discussions concerning the basic concept (as I recall it to be) over the intervening years since its first publication.

Frankly, most of the discussions degenerated into somebody’s rant about a church elder (usually referenced as an invective—the “man-a-gawd” or similar) who has communicated to the church body that which he has discerned as leading from the Lord concerning the direction the church needs to take in some specific matter. IOW, I found it to be a convenient point for rejecting scripturally ordained authority within local assemblies. Not that abuses have not nor will not take place within local assemblies under the guise of the “perfect will of God,” but concepts should not be judged solely, or even primarily, by their abuses.

I find it practically inconceivable to consider that a God who thrives on a personal relationship with an individual, so much so that He provided the whole gospel plan to achieve that relationship; whose promise is to supply each and every personal need of those with whom He has established a personal relationship; whose indwelling is so sure that He has adamantly stated “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee…;” whose every thought, action, and intent is so right that it may only be understood as perfect ; who has promised not only to indwell but to guide in all truth, would not have a specific, yes perfect, plan for each individual as unique to that individual as is the rest of the relationship. Furthermore, I think Scripture, especially some of the narratives, indicate plainly that such a plan (will, if you please) is not only actual but knowable to any Holy Spirit indwelt believer.

On the other hand, I tend to agree with Tyler’s observation that this “perfect will” in many cases will only be comprehended in retrospect.

I still wish I had my copy of Decision Making and the Will of God…when I moved a few years ago it seems to have not made the transition with me!

I am still not satisfied with my own “belief” on this topic or the answers anyone else provides. I appreciate what John MacArthur says, that is be found in the known will of God from the Bible, seek Godly counsel, then do what you desire to do. But that doesn’t seem like enough. I agree with Tyler that each person has a “plan” for their life from God. The thing is the sovereignty of God always makes its way into the discussion and I ask, “is it possible for a person to make a mistake with their life?”. Is it God’s perfect plan for a person to go left, but they choose to go right…and things get mucked up from there. I appreciate strong advocates of the sovereignty of God who say this is not a possibility, but a reasonable view of human lives seems to reveal that people can and do make many mistakes. They marry too fast, they divorce to quick, they abuse drugs, commit crimes, choose not to receive Jesus…the list goes on and on.

Another thing is the “how do you know God’s will question”. While I appreciate the view that God does not give “revelation” (I stress the little r), the problem is I have experienced what I perceived to be a definite immediate knowing of what I needed to do at several significant times in my life. In 2 cases this was dramatic. I knew that I knew that I knew that leaving what I was doing and joining the Marine Corps was correct. It was immediate and instantaneous while in prayer. Second, when I met my future wife the first time, I literally “felt and saw” a flash of light/electricity (I can’t describe it other than that) and had the instant knowledge that that was the woman to marry but it was followed with a strong thought of being patient and not moving too fast to press her. She didn’t receive the same revelation however…that took some patience and it was amazing how God drew her to me without me going out and wooing her. I don’t claim this is the usual experience at all, but I cannot deny that in these 2 cases I had an “experience with God”. Deny it if you wish but I know what happened…

On the other hand, at other times when I needed to make significant life changing decisions I did not receive any kind of “knowing” despite significant prayer and Bible reading and meditation. So, I restate that I cannot write a clear explanation of what I believe about decision making and the will of God. But, I keep working on it.

I understand what you’re saying. I struggled with the decision to leave the Navy after 10 years and go into ministry, and felt a strong sense of “inner peace” (or whatever you want to call it) once I finally made my decision. I was happier than ever.

To your other example, my experience was the same with my wife! I wasn’t a Christian then, though … Who knows!

I see God’s will in his decrees, his demands, and his desires. Our response is to submit to his decreed will, obey his demanded will, and seek his desired will. If we are truly submitted to God’s decrees and obeying his demands, we can trust that God will providentially lead through the godly desires he places within our hearts. He directs us by the wisdom principles of God’s Word and godly counsel of those who know God and the Scriptures well and who in addition know us well.

This whole idea of ‘inner peace’ really needs a treatment in a systematic some time, or at least a good study in a journal. We (orthodox Christians) talk frequently about ‘the call to a missions field or pulpit’, the ‘peace in our soul about XYZ’ purchase or decision, and yet we seem to define the Spirit solely by treatments of His person or the heretical teachings of the health and wealth / charismatic / glossalalia, or other unBiblical excesses.

There is a balance, and I think that it would make for a great small group study or book of some sort. How a person would go about writing that, though, is beyond me. Would we really be so concerned about the charismatics if we could legitimately define what the Spirit’s role in individual or corporate leading is? Other than “God is not the author of confusion” or “The fruit of the Spirit…is peace”?

1. Circumstances

2. Desires

3. The Word of God

These three elements can be found in Gen. 31:1-3 and v. 30 in the life of Jacob.

I have found that when all three are present, one can move with confidence.

The absence of one would not necessarily mean the decision would be wrong,

but the lace of confidence in making the decision could be present.

Hope this helps.

Three rows:

• Inputs: Opportunities, Interests, Circumstances, Limitations, Resources, Talents / Abilities (also giftedness)
• “The process” box: Mindful of God (Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”
• Outputs: Valid, Christ-honoring choices

One of the pressures that a lot of young people feel is whether they are going to marry the “right” one, and if they don’t find this right one, their life could be doomed. I just never bought into this philosophy and pressure from this approach when I was a young man. I never felt there was this perfect one made for me. I truly felt that marriage was primarily a commitment of love and following Scripture as you fulfilled this relationship and not as much about who God had made for me. I never searched for the right one. I just found someone who I felt was compatible with me in interests and thought process, prayed about it and made a commitment. After 20 years I found that I am a flawed individual, who has married a flawed individual and we are both commited to loving each other. We are raising our kids within a Biblical framework, strongly involved in church, love each other and having a blast doing it. Do I know if I found the “right one”? Who cares! I am confident I am in the Lord’s Will.