Guiding Principles

If you have a personality like me, you may struggle with trying to control just about everything and you may be prone to stress. Psychologists might label me as a Type-A personality. This desire for control can work in opposition to my desire to trust God – to walk by faith. But our faith walk is of the utmost importance. The Word tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11). And I would take it a step further and tell you that you are not able to experience all that the Lord has for you if you are walking through this life trusting in yourself, your thoughts, your wisdom, your perspective.

The Lord speaks directly to us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. He’s also given us His word to help guide us in our living. Imagine you are having dinner with a friend and you share with your friend that you are considering embarking on a certain business venture or seeking a relationship with a potential mentor. Your companion would respond to what you are saying…engaging in conversation. It is the same with the Lord: He gives us the Holy Spirit and His word to speak to us as we come to Him with our thoughts and concerns. God’s word is always applicable to our lives. And while there is not a verse in the Scriptures that directly says “Go into business with Chet and Amanda”, we can discern what God’s overall desire is for His children and then act in line with His will. As we do, we enjoy the fullness of life that He desires for us.

The Word of God teaches us that God’s will is not a mystery that He delights in keeping hidden from us - we can know His will. Discerning His will does not take some kind of magic but it does require pursuing Him and listening to His voice. So for the next four days we will look at some of the guiding principles for life that are found in God’s word – words that will help inform us in our daily decision making when we are not hearing a specific word from the Lord regarding the matters that concern our hearts. To do this, we will take a look at chapters 12-15 of the book of Romans.

See you tomorrow!