Let me assure you that God is pleased with your desire to obey him no matter the cost. After all, he’s put that desire there! Permit me to explain for you how the Scriptures say we should answer that question.
But before we start - why the Scriptures? Because they – by their nature the only source identified as bearing the very words from God’s mouth – are there to make you fully equipped for every good work. Let that sink in. Fully equipped. Every good work.
So first – note that Jesus is the one building his kingdom – and the gates of Hell won’t prevail against it. Nothing you do is going to mess up God’s plan. Jesus’ building of the Church – his beloved Bride – is not going to get messed up by your picking the ‘wrong’ career.
So don’t worry. God’s got this whole world – governments, wars, births, deaths, the placement of landmines, the budding of flowers – his Church – and your life – under control. And he loves you.
I brought up ‘career’ choices. They often bear the connotation of ‘life’ choices. Thing is, those aren’t a reality. What you’re doing next year is by no means necessarily what you’ll be doing in five or ten! The more important thing to realize about those ‘big’ decisions is that they’re no bigger than the choices you make when buying things at the grocery store. Now, that’s not to say that they’re not important. It is to say that ‘small’ choices are important. You’re to be holy in all you do. God’s will – revealed in the Bible – is much more about your character than about your activity. And when it is about your activity, it’s very specifically about your activity as an overflow of your character. You’re to be holy.
Now let me tell you what the Bible doesn’t talk about. It doesn’t talk about ‘feeling led.’ It doesn’t talk about making choices based on emotional impression. God doesn’t say that those are a valid way of discerning his will. God in no way promises to reveal to you how you’re to make choices about particular circumstances. When the Bible talks about the Spirit – it speaks of him changing our characters – not ‘telling’ us (via emotional impression!) to do some particular thing.
That may come as a shock to you, but I encourage you to search the Scriptures. It’s true. And I beg you – review those first few paragraphs. GOD is in control. GOD is always loving you, actively. GOD has called you – first and foremost – to be… holy. He cares more for your character than about your activity.
So what’s the Holy Spirit doing? He is the one doing the glorious, amazing work of changing our characters – causing us to love more – to rejoice in the Lord more – to give up ourselves more – to trust him more. He’s changing our wills – our desires! He’s conforming us to be more like Jesus. He’s moving us to prayer! He’s convicting us of sin.
If you know Jesus, the Holy Spirit IS making you more like him. Trust him to do that and praise him for doing it!
More than that, flee sin. You have sinful desires. Run from fulfilling them. If those desires are causing you to desire comfort – run. Pick up your cross and follow Jesus. If there is an inkling of sin – run.
And run towards Jesus! He’s given you his word and is producing desires for holy things in your heart. Run after those things – no matter the cost.
Yes, pray for wisdom. Yes, ask wise people for their input – including about where you might be sinning and about what you might be best at in this great work of building Christ’s kingdom.
But the basis for those things – and for everything in the Christian life – is the Holy Spirit convicting you of sin – flee it – and in producing in you a love for those things God loves – chase his will, revealed to you through the Spirit by the Scriptures, relentlessly and tirelessly – no matter the cost.
The Lord bless your life. May it be to his glory, by his grace!
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