Last week, we discussed God’s leadership in our lives. There may be an occasional need to recalculate our direction as we determine that our current course and God’s plan are not in agreement. We discussed different ways in which God may communicate this need to us. It may be from a new insight from Scripture. God’s Holy Spirit may impress something on us that we can’t even explain. But it may occur through simple circumstances in our lives. The job we thought we could depend on ends abruptly – recalculate! There may be an unexpected bonus or blessing that changes the course of our life – recalculate! It may be an illness or death of someone we care about – recalculate!
The point is this, don’t waste a single situation you experience that may allow God to speak a new challenge into your life. Please note, not everything that takes place in our world requires us to recalculate our direction. And not every recalculation requires a drastic change. It might be a simple adjustment of schedule or priority that will get you on God’s path. However, they do give us an opportunity to evaluate our current direction to assure it is still valid.
The process of evaluation does not have to take long. Below are a series of questions that will assist in the process. As you get into a pattern of consistent evaluation, you will learn to run through these quickly and allow God to use them to shape your next steps.
When you see a situation that may cause you to recalculate direction ask yourself these questions in this order:
- Always start here: Is there unconfessed sin in my life that needs to be dealt with? This requires a simple act of confession and repentance (1 John 1:9). This freedom from known sin allows an open communication line with our Lord.
- Are there entanglements that I have allowed to get in the way of my pursuit of God? These are priority issues. What have I allowed to get in the way of being a fully devoted follower of Christ? (Job, hobbies, human relationships, etc.) These are not bad, just need a proper place.
- Which Fruit of the Spirit can I develop more fully as a result of this situation? There may be more than one! (Galatians 5:22-23)
- What attribute of God’s character is more fully revealed through this circumstance? Can I use this time to become more aware of his greatness? Can I show greater appreciation for his mercy, justice, love, hope, patience, omniscience…?
- How can I more powerfully serve the Body of Christ as a result of my situation?
- How can I be more effective in reaching out to pre-believers based on this experience?
- In what way has God revealed his love for me as he allows this event in my life?
It is not difficult to see how helpful this tool can be to keep us on the right path. It is not unreasonable to consider running through this list each day as a part of your regular prayer. The important point is to act on what you learn. If God shows you the need to recalculate, do it. In this you will see God’s hand more clearly as you pursue being a godly man.
Q. What makes self-evaluation so difficult to consistently do?
Q. How might this tool be effective in defeating the attacks of Satan in our lives?