Discerning God's Will for Action

Here is the outline of a presentation I gave February 20 to a leadership development group of pastors in Western New York.
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Discernment: To Go or Stay

1. Two Personalities/Biases I've seen:

• Wait, don't act until the Lord tells you what to do. 
• Move forward and the Lord will stop you if you go in the wrong direction.

Scriptures to support both:

• "Wait on the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait, I say, on the Lord." Ps 27:14
• "You will hear a voice behind you when you turn to the right or the left" (Isa 30:21)

One instance when we are probably hearing God is when we are impressed in a different direction than our natural tendencies.

2. I shared my process in coming to Houghton.

• I had an impression of a change coming. It was both a push and a pull.
• Outside factors included an empty nest, a sense that I was not as aligned with the direction of my situation as I used to be.
• Inside was a sense that I either needed to return to teaching or move into more advanced leadership.
• Doors opened.
• There were a striking number of benefits to walking through the door.
• I had an unusual peace about it.

3. There is not one answer for every situation.

• Sometimes we have to wait because there is nothing we can do but pray. (Of course we should always be praying. We should always sit with a choice in silence before the Lord.)
• Sometimes God wants us to wait on him when we could act but it is not his will.
• Sometimes God makes it clear what we are to do and when we are to do it.
• Sometimes we need to step out in faith without knowing for sure where we are going.

4. Impressions by Martin Wells Knapp

• Scripture - "Impressions from above are always in harmony with the teachings of the Word."
• conscience - Does the impression cohere with our core Christian values (love God, love neighbor)? (I have modified Knapp here)
• providence - "If a leading is of God, the way will always open for it."
• reason - God's leading usually makes sense.

5. An impression can begin with an outside push or a pull.

• Your situation can get rough (a push).
• Your situation can change in a way that requires choices.
• A door can open and a new possibility present itself (a pull).
• There's a time to stick it out. There is a time to shake the dust off your feet.
• There can also be a time when you are ready to continue, but your influence is spent. You may want to stay but it would benefit the situation for someone else to take over.
• There's a time to step out in faith. There's a time to wait for a door to open.

6. An impression can begin with something inside.

• A "holy discontent" (but beware a personality always looking for greener grass)
• A person can have a sense of release or a sense of ongoing burden.
• God often gives us choices, gives us a say in what to choose. There isn't always just one will of God.
• God interacts with our choices. He sometimes "changes his mind about judgment" (Jonah). He gives Hezekiah an extra 15 years. Sometimes he turns toward the negative (Saul, destruction of Jerusalem). 

7. Making decisions

• An impression - peace? discontent? excitement? a possible word from the Lord?
• What does Scripture and my conscience say? 
• What doors are open and closed?
• What are the pros and cons (reason)? Does it make sense?
• What do others say, whose wisdom I recognize? Don't ignore the prophets you don't like!
• Listen to the voice behind you.

8. A prayer
Lord, grant me the peace to wait on you when I cannot or should not act…
Lord, grant me the courage to act when it is time, even if I am uncertain of the direction…
Lord, grant me the wisdom to know the difference!