Finding direction for life and living is important to us all. Guidance and advice on where we should live, what job should we take, who should we marry and how we can navigate a host of options that seem open to us. Some decisions are more difficult than others to make and some are more important and far-reaching. Such as, what is my life purpose? What are my long-range goals? What would I like people to remember about me, what would I like them to be able to say at my funeral?
We like to think that we are rational people and the most important decisions are made logically. But recently, neuropsychologists have discovered that it is not that simple. We are deeply-emotional people and we are influenced far more by our emotions, our feelings and our moods than we were previously comfortable to admit.
We all have cognitive biases, those thought patterns and beliefs we have adopted to make sense of ourselves, of others and of the world around us. We usually filter out the information that does not conform to these biases and automatically go with what confirms our existing ideas and beliefs. This, I’m told, releases serotonin in our brains, a positive feel-good hormone. But when we are confronted with something that opposes our pre-disposed ways of thinking, it triggers negative emotions and feelings.
All this goes some way to explain why decision-making is often difficult and painful. We have to face negative responses in ourselves – insecurity, confusion and anxiety. Personally, I welcome such emotions in myself because it usually means I have the opportunity to examine my direction and challenge my comfort zones.
Human beings are incurably spiritual beings. We like to look up and out, as well as inside ourselves. Instinctively, we recognize that we are part of something bigger. There is a transcendent realm that answers to these longings. Some people call it a ‘higher power’, ‘another realm’ or simply, ‘God’.
The Christian gospel teaches that God is the supreme being and ultimate reality, who is all-giving, all-loving and all-forgiving. As the ultimate reality, everything draws its existence and meaning from him. To ignore this leads to confusion and despair. In part, the Bible refers to this as judgement. It is important to consider these things when making decisions for your life – whether big or small.
It stands to reason that if the God of the universe is all-loving and relational he will communicate that love in ways that we can see and hear. The Judeo-Christian Scriptures are the words of God giving age-old wisdom. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of revelation and we can look to him to show us the way to go. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) and in him we find both the secrets and the joys of life and living.
As well as using your own critical faculties, your natural wisdom and reasoning, I invite you to examine what it means to receive guidance for your life through the gospel of Christ. My book, ‘How to Know the Will of God for your Life’ is written mainly for those who have already settled these issues but I also believe it is useful for all those who are considering the wider concepts of meaning and purpose and who have not yet not committed themselves to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Why don’t you take a look?
HOW TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE
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