Our Wants vs. His Will (Part 2): Waiting for the "Why"

#WednesdayWisdom...on a Friday! God gave me this post not too long ago, and it goes so well with Wednesday's piece, I decided not to wait until next week. Wednesday's discussion was about making sure our wants are within the will of God. In asking for what we want, we should always acknowledge that He knows our needs, but the Bible also says God gives us free will. What happens when we add that to the equation? Today's post is close to home. In fact, it's something I'm grappling with right now, in this season. I've decided to stop waiting for the "why."

Why / Chief Learning Officer

What do you do when you pray about something and it doesn't seem like God is giving you a concrete yes or no? You make a choice. There were a few times in my life when I prayed and God gave me an answer right away, even if it wasn't the answer I wanted. As I've matured in my faith, I'm realizing that the answer won't always be crystal clear. Sometimes, He'll give you more than one option and you'll have to decide which one's the good one, and which one's the God one. How do you choose between the delayed yes and the right-away yes when both choices are almost perfect, but not quite? The answer is both simple and complex: You just choose.

Everyone says the "right" decision will bring an overwhelming sense of peace. I would argue that that's not always the case. Sometimes, even after you've made the choice, you'll still be apprehensive. Sometimes you have to weigh out the pros and cons and choose the one that might not make sense in every single aspect, but something about it just feels right. That something is what separates the good thing from the God thing.

Whenever I'd find myself in a split decision, I'd pray, "Lord, show me why You're calling me to this person/place/thing and what You want me to do with it/them." I used to pray that prayer all the time until I realized something: If you wait for the why, you're wasting time. Sometimes the "what" is all we need to know, and sometimes that "what" is just GO. Just do it, and do it now. If God doesn't give us the "why" right away, it's because He knows that if we see everything we'll have to go through to get to that "why," we might not want it anymore. He'll hold back the "why" until we move on the "what" because sometimes the "why" is intimidating. Don't let that deter you!

If you feel God calling you to something somewhere, answer the call, even if that call isn't what you expected. The peace may not come right away. Being called to a purpose does not guarantee that walking in it will be easy, but rest in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (NIV). Travis Greene said it best, "I don't have to worry 'cause it's working for me!" We serve an intentional God whose motives should not ever be questioned. No matter what your starting point looks like, He always causes us to triumph! So if you've reached a fork in the road, pray, then choose a path and trust Him to direct you. The "what" is GO, the "when" is NOW. You're walking towards your "why."