Strengthening families through biblical principles.
Focus on the Family addresses the use of biblical principles in parenting and marriage to strengthen the family.
Read daily articles from Focus on the Family in the Marriage and Parenting Resources forum.
Doing the right thing can be easy with the more obvious alternatives between right and wrong. That is not a problem for most people, and they get through life, on those obvious issues, easily enough. However, there are many more decisions to be made where the alternatives are either too subtle, or enmeshed, that it is more difficult to make. In other words, we need to be more sensitive to make that discernment.I'd like to ask why you think about this so much.
Do you think it's really difficult to know what God wants?
I ask because I find that I don't concentrate on this too much ...
God often works in mysterious ways, and it would not be so mysterious if it was not difficult to know what God wants. Some things are hidden from us because we need to learn other things first, like when we re read the bible we pick up on things we have not seen before. Between readings we learnt new ways to discern scripture. Sometimes God seems mysterious because we simply were not sensitive enough to discern God's will for us. As a result we get things wrong. I know lessons are learnt from doing wrong things, but many wrongs, in retrospect, was from not discerning our own truth about the matter. And our truth is always God's will for us. God wants us to know what we are doing, wants us to realize that we are totally responsible for all our own thoughts and actions....Do you think it's really difficult to know what God wants? ...
How do you do that?Whenever I'm in doubt, the Spirit brings up this scripture.
Galatians 5:22-23
You do your best.What do you do, to be sensitive enough, to know you are doing the right thing?
I personally know when I'm not doing what the Spirit asks of me. If I'm being not self-controlled.......I know. That one is a hard one for me and I have to go against my nature and trust the Spirit and remain in control. He is ready to forgive, if I'm ready to really change and trust him. He's forgiven me many times for not trusting him, but I ALWAYS repent.......because I love him and want better.How do you do that?
Obviously fasting is not for decision-making needed within the moment or short time.Fasting is one obvious answer. My wife and I fast every Monday (Sunday afternoon to Tuesday morning). But fasting (combined with prayer) is effective when we are faced with a difficult decision.
I know what you mean. It's a bit of a paradox in a way. You want to be in control, yet to trust the Spirit is to let go of control.I personally know when I'm not doing what the Spirit asks of me. If I'm being not self-controlled.......I know. That one is a hard one for me and I have to go against my nature and trust the Spirit and remain in control. He is ready to forgive, if I'm ready to really change and trust him. He's forgiven me many times for not trusting him, but I ALWAYS repent.......because I love him and want better.
So doing the right thing......is to trust the Spirit, even though it goes against our nature.
Hermit,Doing the right thing can be easy with the more obvious alternatives between right and wrong. That is not a problem for most people, and they get through life, on those obvious issues, easily enough. However, there are many more decisions to be made where the alternatives are either too subtle, or enmeshed, that it is more difficult to make. In other words, we need to be more sensitive to make that discernment.
I don't believe it's possible to know what God wants in every single possible situation.God often works in mysterious ways, and it would not be so mysterious if it was not difficult to know what God wants. Some things are hidden from us because we need to learn other things first, like when we re read the bible we pick up on things we have not seen before. Between readings we learnt new ways to discern scripture. Sometimes God seems mysterious because we simply were not sensitive enough to discern God's will for us. As a result we get things wrong. I know lessons are learnt from doing wrong things, but many wrongs, in retrospect, was from not discerning our own truth about the matter. And our truth is always God's will for us. God wants us to know what we are doing, wants us to realize that we are totally responsible for all our own thoughts and actions.
Amen!For example: Many years ago I had difficulty dealing with fellow workers who seemed to irritate me. I had no patience or tolerance for them. Every morning before work I asked God for patience. Everyday I got irritated by others. After about 4 months of my daily prayer I changed my prayer to: "God, I've been praying for patience for four months now, and nothing seems to have changed, so what's going on?" My instant, unmistakable response was: "How else are you going to learn!?" The response shocked me, but instantly realized that you just don't get patience from God, it is a thing that requires practice. I requested to cancel my prayers for patience since now I know I have to practice patience. I turned up at work that morning, and every other day after that, everybody seemed to be in harmony. What changed was my attitude. My world view suddenly changed with one with patience, tolerance and acceptance, more so than ever before.
So, many times we may know what God's will is for us, such as being more patient, but not sensitive enough to know God's will for us is to practice being patient. Sometimes God wants us to know where we are coming from more than where we are going. There are countless examples of such 'not so easily discerned' in books on ethics. Some classic ethical examples of so-called no right thing to do has been argued by scholars for centuries. However, there are ways around these issues by following God's will like Jesus has done and shown us. But not everybody is sensitive enough to avoid all wrongs. But we could learn how to become more sensitive. That is what I am hoping this thread will do, to help others to get some insight on how to do this by other people's experiences in how to do this.
Obviously fasting is not for decision-making needed within the moment or short time.
So, what is it about fasting that would help you to become more sensitive to discerning the right thing, or truth?
Runner, what do you do if you need to make a decision sooner?