Tess Brigham, an American psychologist, described her experience with Generation Y (born circa 1980-2000). The most common reason for psychotherapy is: "I have too many choices and I can't decide what to do. What if I make the wrong choice?"
And it's true. When I was a kid, there were 2 kinds of ice cream: chocolate, vanilla. Maybe punch. Today: on average, there are 20-30 kinds of ice cream in the ice cream shop, and they are getting more and more special, e.g. popcorn, sweet potato, goat cheese, beetroot, horseradish, garlic caramel ice cream (also a protection against vampires ☺) I even saw brandy flavoured ice cream. Coffee: 1 kind, now cappuccino, latte machiato, iced coffee. . . But also bread, milk, soft drinks (cola, jaffa, traubi, brand). TV channel: 1, 2, Romanian, Yugo. Today: more than 100 channels, USA: 300-500, Netflix: about countless films and TV series. Who has that much time? What to watch? What do my friends watch?
But there are MAJOR DECISIONS to. Where should I go to work? Education: degree or apprenticeship, what kind of degree? Where do I meet the opposite sex? Today's world is about having lots of different ways to do everything. Which is the right one? Where do I go in all this confusion? Who tells me how to make the right decision?
Today's scripture and the Bible as a whole can give us a reassuring answer to this question. God wants to help you, He wants to lead you in the right direction.
The first verse of Psalm 23 said that the Lord is our Shepherd. But it also means that the shepherd paid a very great price for us, shedding his own blood. Therefore, we are all the property of the Good Shepherd, and therefore we must live according to His will.
Last time, we talked about God leading us to grassy pastures and still waters to give us spiritual nourishment and rest. God wants to teach us to rest in this stressful, busy world. But the life of a sheep is not all rest. When they are rested, the shepherd sets them up again and TAKES THEM FURTHER, to other fields. If he didn't do this, the sheep would eat everything and there would be nothing to eat, the food would run out. So you have to keep going. That's the life of a believer. God gives us rest, then leads us on to move forward on the path of the believing life.
"He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 ESV
The Lord's guidance
I had a sermon on this topic at the end of January, where I spoke about it in more detail and in a slightly different aspect. If anyone is interested, listen to that one too. The title and verse is Romans 8:14, But those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.
Two mistakes can be made about God's leading. The first is when we ask God for every little thing, even though He has given us free will (e.g. what colour socks to wear this morning, or what to choose in the canteen). The second is when we totally ignore God's will, because He is the Lord Almighty and everything will be as He wants it to be. Therefore, we don't need to bother to seek His will, but simply decide something and everything will be fine.
None of them are right. The middle way is important. Some things I think God has given us a free choice. But in other things, He does have a specific will that we must understand and do. There is no specific biblical verse on this, so there may be differences among Christians as to who thinks what is important, but there has to be a balance somewhere. I think that as we grow in faith, God speaks less often because we make good choices based on our character.
In some things we know that God has a specific will. For example, mission. For the apostle Paul, for example, God changed his missionary plan and called him to Macedonia.
Equally important things I THINK your marriage, place of work, residence, .. . the better our relationship with the Lord, the more detailed and clear He is in leading us.
There is one verse that is very encouraging at first sight, Romans 8:14, But those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. It's cool, but if you flip it over, it's quite depressing. Those who are not led by the Spirit of God are not the sons of God. Of course, that's not true, but it can be said that if you are not led by the Spirit of God, you have no fellowship with Jesus Christ. He may be a converted Christian, but now he is far from the Lord. So the first question for you today is: are you experiencing God's leading in your life?
the purpose of guidance
What is the goal? Where does God want to lead you?
First of all, it's important that God wants to do good, to bring us to a good place. He wants to lead you further and further into an expanding life.
„The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV
„For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
An abundant life is not necessarily material abundance and worldly success, but a contented, happy life, which IS APPARENT. A Christian with abundant life SHINES.
Another equally important goal: SANCTIFICATION.
"He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 ESV
What is the truth? It has two meanings in the Bible. There is a difference between justification and sanctification.
Justification: situational justice
Max Lucado's example with the cookies. In the assembly, the leaders had a cookie party (cookie change). The entry was a tray of cookies. Problem: Max Lucado couldn't bake. He was not allowed to enter the party because he could not bake. What can be done? Max confessed his need. He sent an email to the leaders saying he couldn't bake, and a woman who had found out about it from somewhere helped him with a tray of cookies.He received a gift that entitled him to attend the party.
Likewise, God is preparing a grand party that will last forever. One problem: we have to be righteous to enter. You may say you are a relatively good person, but that is not enough. You don't have to be relatively good, you have to be perfectly righteous. The standard is the righteousness and perfect holiness of God, and that's why we're all in trouble. We cannot produce the righteousness by which we can enter the eternal party.
The first step is WE MUST CONFESS. Solution: also a gift, but incomparably bigger than a tray of cookies. The life of Jesus. The blood of the Son of God that spilled on the cross.
„For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
Justification: God looks at us as if we had never committed any sin. The blood of Jesus makes the glasses red, through which God sees you as pure and righteous. This truth can be yours BY FAITH . Nothing else is needed.
Sanctification: practical truth
But faith has ACTIONS , that is, your actions are proof of your faith. Because we are a new creation, our nature has changed. There are still struggles, but we are making progress in the process of sanctification. More and more we are also becoming in practice what our position is, that is, what God says about us. The goal of sanctification is to become more and more like Christ. The goal is to become Christlike in character, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The path of truth is not always an easy one. Sometimes God leads us in a direction we don't feel like taking, and it's important to make the right choice. God's way is the path of righteousness, and we must walk it if we are to go to heaven.
how does god lead?
The practical issues could be discussed in more detail.
Not always in a supernatural way. For example, the Apostle Paul made a plan and travelled around the major cities of the world at the time. It is not a sin to make sensible plans, for Jesus said that he who would build a tower and not sit down first and calculate the cost, whether he could afford everything until it was finished (Luke 14:28). Of course, we must also listen to God when making plans, but God does not always give us specific instructions, but leaves it to us to think and not be foolish but wise. Someone said that it is much easier to drive a moving car than a stationary one.
But we must be ready for the Lord to intervene and change our plan.
In what ways does God speak to us?
- Prayer
- Bible - general truths and personal revelation.
- The counsel of wise believers - this requires humility, but human counsel never overrides personal revelation.
- Circumstances - hindering circumstances (Balaam's donkey) or helping circumstances, when everything comes together. BUT! That alone is not enough to lead, because Jonah, for example, found a boat just as he was fleeing from God. Of course, afterwards circumstances changed and there was a storm, but in the short term circumstances can deceive.
- Inner compulsion - an inexplicable urge to do something. We need to recognize whether it is from God or just our own desire.
- Prophecy, dreams, signs, visions.
Practical application
- Do you trust in the Lord? He wants to lead you to the right place. Be still, seek the Lord, and go after him today. If you've lost your way somehow, redirect. Start slowly, one step at a time. More important than speed is the right direction. God wants to give you an expansive life, but that requires you to follow Him.
- What's at stake? Today's verse: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:3, HUNK) The stake is none other than the Lord's name. When people see what a blessed life you have, they will praise the name of the Lord and some will be converted. This is why leadership is important. Don't be surprised that no one around you converts if you go after your own head.
- Jesus was always under the Father's guidance. Where was God leading Him? On the cross.