Sometimes life can throw a lot at us at one time, can’t it? A lot of opportunities, a lot of requests, a lot of demands, etc. Navigating the unknown, figuring what to say yes to and what to gracefully decline can be challenging.
The beauty of it is that God knows right where He has you. He knows what requests are being made of you, and if you’ll seek Him, in time He will make the way clear.
Seek God and Pray
There is no better place to begin than prayer. Ask God for wisdom and direction on what He would have you do. Seek Him and read your Bible. Time spent in the Word is never wasted.
I have a prayer journal and I love to write out my requests. It helps to put it in to words and somehow writing things down brings me clarity. As I ponder what He would have me do, I love to thumb back through the pages and read prayers from my past that He has answered! It encourages my heart and reminds me that He always answers prayer, I just have to be patient.
As I wait for clarity on navigating the unknown, I thank Him for guiding my steps (literally and in decision-making) and for making the path clear. At the right time He will make the way known.
Pros and Cons
Just because we seek God and pray doesn’t mean we don’t need to put in the work too. After all, God helps those who help themselves. Determining pros and cons is a tool we can use to help us weigh our options.
Take time to ask yourself and seriously ponder the situation you are considering. What are benefits and good things that might come if you say yes? Also, what are the not so enticing negatives that would also accompany that yes?
Now flip it around. What if you gracefully decline – what then? What is the good that comes from that and then also the worst that could come from it?
Navigating the unknowns will sometimes be harder than others. At times the solution is direct and clear, while other times it can leave us spinning.
Seek Peace and Pursue It
This Bible verse popped in my head a week or so ago as I was pondering an opportunity that I needed to make a decision regarding.
Life has been rather full and fast-paced lately and I have been pondering how to slow things down a bit. You know that feeling when it can seem like life is passing you by a bit? In all fairness, I’ve done it to myself and I know it. But now I’m feeling the need to seek peace and pursue it. A bit more pause, a bit less racing around.
And realizing that is helping me with navigating the unknowns. As opportunities are presented I evaluate whether they will bring me the peace I am seeking. Some yes and some no.
Even just imagining these scenarios helps. I imagine that I’ve committed to this or that and I consider how it might play out. If I enjoy the picture that is painted in my imagination, if I get excited about the possibilities, I might consider leaning into this opportunity and saying yes. But if I feel angst and a weight, that’s not peace, so perhaps I should gracefully decline.
Navigating the Unknown
Navigating the unknown certainly carries many uncertainties with it, but one certainty we do have is that if we seek God, He will make the way clear. We must be patient and we must slow down enough to listen for His leading.
It’s not even that we have to wait until we have all the answers for every detail. Sometimes we will have to step out in faith, with the confidence that He is our strength and will lead us in the way. Other times we might have a lot of the answers and an idea of how to accomplish what is set before us, but not have a peace about pursuing it, so we’ll have to pass this time.
The fact of the matter is that life is an adventure with surprise twist and turns! When we keep God as the center of our lives and spend time in His Word, He will help us navigate the opportunities that come our way!
Navigating the unknowns can feel like a chore and a lot of work. Or we can change our perspective and realize these unknowns are a tool that can be used to draw us closer to God!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2019/08/28/he-always-answers/