Discernment in the Christian Life
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Discernment in the Christian life can be a challenge. In big decisions and even in small choices throughout the week there is a constant need to decipher the Lord’s will. In the midst of discernment, one of the things that paralyzes me most often is trying to think too far down the road.
I am a planner and like things to be organized and tidy. My tendency is to try and look too far ahead and overanalyze how things might turn out, or what I might need to worry about 10 steps down the road. The problem is, once you
take a new step in your life nothing ever turns out quite like you think it will. No matter how hard you try, you are not the master of all your circumstances.
Many years ago I heard someone ask a simple question that has been quite freeing for me and helpful when trying to follow the Lord in my life and ministry. “What is my next faithful step?” That’s it. Not, “What will I do for the next five years?” Not, “Is this what I am called to do for the rest of my life?” Not 10 steps or 10 years. Just one step. What do I sense God is calling me to do next? Even if it’s very small. Sometimes the next faithful step looks very ordinary.
Maybe it’s something as simple as picking up the phone and calling that person…or sit down and writing out what I am processing about this decision…or getting up early next week to pray more about this. What I have found is that when I trust God with the next step, he has a way of stringing the steps together to unfold a plan I never could have schemed up.
Maybe that’s exactly the posture he wants us to be in anyway. By not always revealing the 10-year plan the Lord actually is inviting us to trust him in a daily and moment-by-moment way. It’s a way of walking that actually requires faith. It’s the kind of lifestyle that actually forces us to lean into his presence.
As we respond in obedience to each small step, he is so kind and faithful to lead us in the big ways we need. If you are trying to discern something in your life right now, whether or big or small, my encouragement is to start by praying much more simply. “Lord, what does my next faithful step look like?” And then act on what you hear. Just do it. Even if it seems insignificant…and see what he does with that step of faith. You don’t need to have the rest of your life mapped out. (P.S. It won’t happen like you planned anyway!) So just start small and trust God with the rest.