By Glenda Lesher

Have you ever had doubts about a decision or been confused about God’s will?  We pour through Scripture and see obvious commands and warnings, but what about the gray areas?  What about everyday decisions like how and where to use our gifts and abilities-like where to work, where to move, who to marry, and the other choices we have to make on a regular basis?  We’ve all had those moments…moments when we wish God would just audibly tell us what to do.  It would make life much simpler, wouldn’t it?  But it would also be a life without faith; a life without trust; a life without risk.

Maybe we could take some lessons from the apostle Paul.  He had the daunting task of taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to a vast pagan world.  With slow and ancient means of travel, he had a small margin for error.  He had to trust the Holy Spirit to direct his missionary journeys-to open doors of opportunity for evangelism and shut doors when it was not profitable.  (Acts 16:6-7; 1 Corinthians 16:9, 2 Corinthians 2:12)

I believe we should trust God to direct our paths, but that belief was challenged by a close relationship we once had with a pastor and his wife. We were devastated with their decision to leave our church to pastor a large church in Canada, but we said our tearful goodbyes and wished them the best.  Imagine our surprise when they called one day and asked us to join them there!  The offer was for my husband, a travel agent, to work within their church and coordinate all the travel for the pastor and their staff.  Our friend was a gifted speaker and was in demand all over the world, so the offer was tempting.  At first, my husband was flattered, but I felt a check in my spirit.   Scripture tells us that “the sensible man considers his steps.”  (Proverbs 14:15)

We prayerfully considered the pros and cons of uprooting our family, selling our house and moving from our southern state to such a cold country.  Frankly, I didn’t want to do it.  I had my fill of a vagabond life when I was growing up and desired more stability for my family.  But we wrestled with one of those fundamental questions Christians always face – “Is this God’s plan for us or not?”

Not being able to reach the decision for us at the time, we surrendered it to God and waited to see what He would do.

It wasn’t long before God closed that door.  Our friend rescinded the offer, saying they were unsure about their own future at that church, and within six months had moved on to another church.  How thankful I was that we’d waited!  This experience taught us that, even in the community of believers, not all opportunities are from God.  Other doors have opened since then that we have walked though trusting Him, without fear.  Living by faith is not the absence of logic or discernment; it’s all part of walking in faith.