Big decisions can be stressful. Should I take this job? Should I marry this person? Which college should I go to? Finding answers to these questions can create anxiety for all, but they can be especially paralyzing for Christians who intently want to follow God’s will for their life.
Bruce Waltke’s book Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? is an incredible blessing to Christians seeking answers to big questions.
Foundational to Waltke’s approach is a clear understanding of God’s will for us. He argues that ultimately God’s will for us is that we would be mature Christians (79). God commands us to love him and obey his Word (Matt. 22:37-39; John 14:21). Though God does have a specific will for our lives he never promises to reveal that will to us (Deut. 29:29). Rather, we are to focus on God’s revealed will for us, which is loving God and obeying him. Therefore, instead of seeking to find God’s will, Waltke argues we should seek to follow God’s guidance when it comes to big decisions (233). Thankfully, Waltke lays out exactly how to do that. In part one of his book, Waltke dispels common misperceptions about discerning God’s will. In part two, he lays out what he calls “God’s Program of Guidance.” What follows isn’t exactly how Waltke words the steps or structures them, but it is essentially his outline and thoughts.[1]
God’s Program of Guidance
Pray
Not surprisingly, prayer is a vital component in seeking wisdom about big life decisions. This is a crucial way in which we do not lean on our own understanding but acknowledge God in all our ways (Prov. 3:5-6). Prayer gives us peace as we present our requests to our perfect, heavenly Father (Php. 4:6-7) knowing that he will hear our prayers for clarity (John 15:7).
Search the Scriptures
If God’s ultimate will for us is to be mature Christians then we must search his Word to see what biblical issues may be at stake in a decision. For example, if you are considering dating someone you should think about what characteristics you should desire in a spouse (i.e. faith in Christ, godliness, kindness, etc.), or what the purpose of dating and marriage is. If you are considering different colleges or a move, you should consider priorities in Scripture like being a part of a healthy church. Perceiving relevant biblical issues helps guide us toward a decision that will prioritize God’s ultimate will for us: maturity in Christ and love for God.
Search Our Hearts
David writes in Psalm 139:23-24,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
As we consider decisions, we should examine our hearts and motives by asking questions like, “Why do I want to marry this person?”, or “why do I want to take this job?” These kind of heart searching questions help us uncover unhealthy desires that could lead us to an unwise decision and put God’s ultimate will for us in danger.
Trust God’s Providence
God providentially orders everything in our lives, including our abilities, circumstances and opportunities. If you aren’t offered the job you want, that is God’s providence making the decision for you. If you can’t afford a particular college, we can trust God’s providence in that too. The same goes for our abilities. Perhaps we don’t have the skill set for a job we want, or the maturity to get married right now. Sometimes God has already made the decision for us and we just need to humbly submit to it.
Seek Wise Counsel
Another crucial aspect to making wise decisions is seeking wise counsel. “The purpose in a man’s heart is deep waters, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Prov. 20:5). “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed” (Prov. 13:20). We can’t truly complete steps 1-4 until we’ve allowed Christian friends and pastors to join us in each of them. There may be biblical issues at stake we didn’t realize, or motives we were unaware of. Having a church family and pastors who know you well brings vital, wise counsel to bear on big decisions.
Use Your Judgment
If after all these steps you still have multiple choices in a decision, then there’s one step left: trust your judgment. When there are multiple options that make it through all the previous steps then as Augustine said, “Love God and do what you want.” As Waltke writes, “If we have been so uniquely created as to have high-level thinking, it only makes sense that God will use our judgment as part of his program of guidance.” (198).
Waltke’s book is a gold mine for all Christians trying to make big life decisions in a way that is wise but not paralyzing. Even if you aren’t currently facing a big decision Waltke’s approach will enable you to help others who are. I hope many read it and discover God’s ultimate will for their life as well as guidance for big decisions.
[1] For instance, Waltke’s first step is Read the Scripture. He doesn’t have prayer as a step (though he certainly states the importance of prayer in his book), and his second step is to prioritize our love for God over in every decision. I imply that priority in steps two and three rather than a stand-alone step.
Mike McGregor
Mike McGregor (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @m5mcgregor.
