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Changing Times

August 1, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The times we’re living right now are times many of us never thought we’d see. The speed of cultural shift is so drastic it’s almost dizzying! Look at how fast things have morphed in the past 3-5 years. Some blame the pandemic others blow the thing off like it never happened. I think a better assessment is that it happened, whether we like it or not, and that it accelerated our lives to a speed many of us are not comfortable with. It’s even been said that our society jumped forward about 10 years in the span of 2 years time.

Changing times are terrifying. We don’t like change often because we can’t control it. Something being out of control is not fun. I’m often branded a control freak. But that’s not totally accurate. I tend to embrace change pretty easily and change is out of control. I would say I have a need to be informed about what’s happening so I can be prepared to address challenges that arise. That’s not control it’s desiring information.

Recently the national version of the church body to which I belong made some pretty bold moves. And not bold in a good way necessarily. Honestly I think they’re bold in a way that shows some lack of faith and a bit of cowardice.

I know this is going to probably push someone’s buttons. While that is not the intent, if it does get people having a dialogue instead of unilaterally legislating how we handle change in the world then so be it. I’ll push away!

There are two matters that have really stood out to me as I’ve participated virtually in this conference: as a church body we really have a trust issue and control is pretty important.

There are a couple topics that make this super evident to me. One of which is the desire to focus on one method for raising up pastors in the church body. While I admittedly did not hear anyone say that only pastors going through a residential seminary training process are real and everyone else is fake or lesser, that sure seems to be the tenor of the conversation. I am willing to be wrong here.

The matter from my perspective is one of control. While I do believe it is important that anyone who is rightly called as a pastor within this church body know what we believe, teach and confess. And while I also know that it is important to have diligent study of the Bible and our confessional structure, I also believe wholeheartedly that there is more than one way to get that same result.

Just like I was able to participate in the conference virtually and virtual education methods are numerous and getting more user friendly, having a strong virtual element to the raising up of pastors would be fantastic. I have men in the congregation I serve who would make phenomenal pastors but they just can’t uproot their families or quit their jobs. So alas that’s one less pastoral candidate our church body has in circulation.

The unwillingness to release a little control over the structure of how things are taught (not what is taught but how and where) is really disheartening. I honestly am shocked when I see how the apostles led the churches in the book of Acts. They were uneducated men. They didn’t uproot their families to go off to an institution for a 4 year stint to learn something. They were able to learn while they lived their daily lives.

Are there some trade offs? Yes there are but doing the same thing the same way will not yield a higher result. It just won’t work that way. We should still cherish the traditional route to ministry that has served us well for many years! But releasing a little control back to the parish pastors and working alongside them to raise up and train men for works of ministry sounds kind of Book of Acts to me. Keep high standards. Work on curriculum or teaching points/methods. But leave the how and where to the local guys with regular checkins from the structures that already exist.

But then there’s the whole trust issue. Do we trust that the men in the field are going to steward their gifts properly? I think this is a huge struggle as well. I mean most of them were trained in the residential program that is being held up as the only way to do it. And yet we don’t seem to trust them to be able to teach other men to do the same job? Seems to show a lack of trust in our own teaching! One of the signs of a great teaching is that the student is able to teach the material to someone else.

Look I get it. None of this is going to be easy. But it doesn’t have to be impossible either. The tighter we hold to this method as the only method, the more we’re going to lose. But why is it so hard for us to let go a little?

Change is hard because it leaves things out of control for a period of time. I’m not one of those change everything just because we can kind of guys but we need to know what can change and what can’t change. Changing nothing is not an option. It just isn’t possible. If we can manage change well, we can better manage the chaos that’s so often associated with change.

I think a long and hard conversation needs to be had about where God wants his church to go. Not where we want it to stay. It’s time to make some bold moves for the sake of the kingdom. Repent where we’ve made mistakes. But keep moving and advancing the kingdom. It’s only then that we will see how weak hell’s gates truly are (as long as we’re sitting here those gates hold up pretty darn well).

The times are changing and while the message can’t change – the methods are going to have to change.

A Place More Religious Than Church

July 31, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I love audiobooks. I probably like them so much because I spend a lot of time driving to the gym, church, on visits, and back home. I spend well over an hour in my truck daily. So needless to say I get to listen to a lot of books. A couple of years ago I was able to consume nearly 70 books in a year all due to using audiobooks. Another key reason for audio books is that I’m a slow reader and I can change the speed of an audio book whereas I cannot change the speed of my reading.

One of the books I read (listened to) recently had a concept in it that has been rattling around in my head. I cannot for the life of me remember which book it actually was but know this is not my own original content. I’m fairly certain this was from a book by Eugene Peterson however.

The idea is this the most religious places in the world are not churches, but battlefields and mental hospitals.

Wow that one hit me. Not sure why that stuck with me so tightly but I was hurt in my heart to hear that reality. And even more saddened to think it was probably a correct assessment of reality!

But why are mental hospitals and battlefields more religious than churches?

I think it has a lot to do with despair, desperation, and destruction. You see when we live in a world of despair and desperation it’s easy to realize that there’s really only one place to turn. When we’re face with life altering destruction, there’s really only one place that can change our perception of reality.

I really think that the church has it too easy. We have our well decorated buildings and our set structures. We have some nice tax benefits. We have the ability to do much more than we let on. We aren’t forced to do things that go against conscience or faith. It’s actually a pretty nice set up.

But what do you hear when you talk to Christians today? We hear about the trouble and hardships and struggles in the world. We hear people complaining about how challenging life is but what we’re not on a battlefield or in a mental hospital so it’s easy to complain instead of doing something about it.

Perhaps the church needs a few more battlefield moments. We need to come to grips with the challenges we face in moments of despair. The more we have the more comfortable we grow and the more we tend to take the things of God for granted.

We’ve heard the analogy that the church is the hospital for sinners but that’s just not enough. It’s not enough to admit that we need Jesus and that he saved us. Yes it’s essential but when it comes to the driving forward of our faith into real life, it just isn’t enough unfortunately.

It’s not until we’re met with disaster and devastation that we actually buckle our knees in prayer. It’s not until our loved one dies or our marriage is on the rocks that we really see the power of God in our lives. It’s not until our job is ended and our life hits a low point that God becomes God again.

I hate how true the statement is, but the church really could use a life altering moment or two in order for us to realize just how much we need God again.

Optometrist or Artist?

July 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Kind of a weird title. Totally get it. But I think sometimes we act like one of these when we should be the other. In dealing with truth matters, conflict issues, and frankly many conversations in life we tend to tell what we want people to see more than what truly is there. Let me explain.

I love going to the eye doctor. Not a lot of people say that I’m sure. And perhaps I like going because it’s a time I can hear the doc tell me how great my eyesight is. I’m one of those people who have been given the uncanny ability to see really well without corrective lenses. Actually I’m the only one in my house with strong enough eye sight to not need glasses or contacts.

When you go to the eye doctor and sit in her magic chair, she pulls the little mechanical goggles in front of your face. Then she asks you to look at the letter graph on the wall and read what’s there. Her job is to help you see what’s right there in front of you – just more clearly. She isn’t supposed to help you see something creative or cool. Just black letters on a white background. No more. No less.

An artist on the other hand has a different job. Their job is to help you see something from their perspective, something that may or may not even be there. The job of an artist isn’t to clarify your sight or even highlight reality. Their job is to paint you a picture from their view point. Inevitably they’ll help you see colors, shapes, or elements of something that you might have missed through shading and colors and even exaggeration of sizes.

I think in our communication we have to determine which approach we’re going to use. As a pastor of a church, my job isn’t to paint you a picture of something that isn’t there. It’s not to color something in a particular way that makes you think it’s pretty or beautiful. My job is not to tell you what you want to see. Being a pastor is not like being an artist.

Being a pastor is far more like being an optometrist than an artist. I don’t get to tell you what you should see. I tell you what’s there that you might not be able to see properly.

This part of my job is not fun at times. Telling a friend that their lifestyle isn’t in line with their confession of faith has lost me more than a few friends. But I firmly believe in caring about someone too much to leave them in a potentially bad place is worth the risk. To be honest,if I had to do it all over – the times I’ve been an optometrist (especially the ones that backfired and caused someone to be angry with me) I would definitely do them again.

I can’t paint a pretty picture of someone who is living in a dangerous place spiritually or in a bad relational setting or in a hypocritical lifestyle. None of it is good, healthy or beneficial to anyone!

The point is, if you want an artist to draw you a picture of how good life is and sugar coat things in life so you feel better then I guess I’m not your guy. But if you want an honest, and at times blunt, assessment of what is visible from your actions then I’d gladly walk alongside you as an optometrist who lets you see the difference between view “a” and “b”.

Here’s to seeing more clearly!

Don’t Just Do It

July 20, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The old slogan for the Nike company was Just Do It. It was a phrase that embodied the spirit of sports. The idea behind this slogan was that you don’t have to be great at something to start it. Just do it and by doing it you’ll learn more about yourself and the sport you’re trying to learn. It was a great idea for sports, but in life I think it falls short. It leaves something to be desired when we just do something.

The church body within which I’m a pastor has a teaching on vocation. The idea of a vocation is more than just a job. It’s not just the trash collectors and lawyers and power line repair crews. Vocation is the stations you find yourself in through your life. Things like mom or dad, husband or wife are also parts of this vocational idea. So it pretty much sums up everything we do in life.

I’ve heard a lot of people talk about this idea of vocation with the idea of do everything you do to the best of your ability. Now this is a good practice to be sure! After all who wants to be mediocre in life? But just doing something good isn’t the point of life.

So then we deepen things a little bit by teaching that we’re supposed to do everything for the glory of God. We say things like do everything as if you were doing it for God. The idea is that when we make God the audience of all we do we’re bringing him glory by using our gifts, talents and abilities.

And again just like doing your best at everything you do this is a good practice as well. Seeing God as the one who gets the glory for what you do is a great way to stay humble and keep you from being too terribly arrogant. But I think we can take one more step to really make our actions even more meaningful and intentional.

Don’t just do things for the glory of God also do everything for the mission of God.

You see when we do things for the glory of God we make him an observer. It’s like we put him in the auditorium of our life and have him watch us. When we do things merely for his glory we make him a silent bystander which is not the role he should be playing as I see it.

If we do everything for his glory and to achieve the mission of God, then we start to put things in a more healthy alignment scenario. The point of doing things for God’s glory and according to his mission is that not only are we doing things with God in mind but we’re also doing them for the purpose that he established.

Could you imagine what life would look like for you if in your daily routine as a mom, dad, son, daughter, student, teacher, trash collector, banker, lawyer, retiree, whatever the role if you did that function for the purpose of bringing a greater love for Jesus into that arena of your life?

If we stopped just doing it and started doing it with purpose and intention with the goal of loving people in real and tangible ways in the name of Jesus, we’d be less stressed people! We could find a happiness that was contagious. We could live in a peaceful scenario that we could only dream of otherwise.

So today, whatever your vocation – stop just doing it and start doing it for God’s glory and to achieve His mission. You’ll thank me for it later.

Decision Made, Now What?

July 17, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Throughout the past couple of weeks we’ve navigated making hard decisions and how to weigh your options to make the best decision possible. We’ve looked at how other people react and what questions you answer. And we did all of it based on the idea of a pastor receiving a call to a new church. Although many of the points are relatable across situations.

Today we look at what happens next? I mean what happens after you make your decision and make it public? What do you do? How do you do it?

The short answer is you move forward. Whichever direction you choose, whether it’s staying where you are or making a necessary shift, you just go and don’t look back.

The temptation will be in some cases to play the whole what if game? You know the what if I made the other decision? What if I chose the other option? What if I went through the other door? But that game won’t really benefit you at all. It won’t do you any good to sit and ponder over and over again something that just wasn’t meant to be.

The best thing to do now that you’ve made your decision is to move ahead with whatever transition plan you’ve established. If you’re staying then you need to transition back to the vision of the group you’re leading, or cast a new one. If you’re leaving, then make the necessary shifts to get packed and move on.

Do not linger in this process as it only makes things harder. Especially if you’re leaving a place where you are fairly well connected, you want to make sure to take time for healthy farewells but make it swift.

In my case, I decided that it was clear that I needed to stay where I am. That decision really didn’t have anything to do with the other church. It was all about what I really believed was still here in front of me. But as I made the decision, I alerted the other church and all the other necessary people. I made my announcement. We prayed for the new friends I made throughout this process. And now we get back to work. I won’t forget the people I encountered along the way. And I won’t stop praying for them, but I know that I am not the one God called to be their pastor.

The long and short of things is that we move on. We hit the ground and get back to work. Cherish the steps along the path. Hold the friendships close. But there is something in front of you here that needs done. Now’s the time to get to it.

Now as you’re moving forward, look for the next decision that needs made and you start the process all over again using what you learned about yourself in this process.

Don’t You Like Us?

July 14, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Over the past week or so I’ve given you a peak in the window of my heart. I’ve shared with you about receiving a call to a new church and what that means for me and for my family. I’ve talked about determining if I’ve taken my current congregation as far as I am capable.

Today we look at one more question that I have received in one form or another.

Why did you even agree to interview if you’re happy here? Don’t you like us anymore?

Ok so let’s dispel some rumors or hit them off as quickly as possible. We’ll do that by answering a question or two that I’ve heard.

How did the other church get your name? Are you looking for a new place to go? Ah, that’s a fantastic question that is easily explained but hard to understand. Think of it this way. To most of the world I’m fairly invisible, and that’s perfectly fine! But to the church body to which I belong carrying the title pastor all of a sudden makes me visible to every church out there. Having the title pastor is like covering the invisible man with a sheet. Now you know he exists, but you still don’t know anything about him.

The next step is to see if the man under the sheet is even worth looking at. This is where I kind of have a little bit of control. I am allowed to mark myself as closed to interviews, not interested at all, and don’t want to talk to anyone. Some guys do that and that’s ok for them. But I personally don’t feel that’s the most God honoring way to handle things. So my position is that I am really not interested in moving and personally feel there are things left to do here but I am open to the realization that God knows things I don’t know. So I’m willing to prayerfully consider something if it’s of God. And this is what I told the churches who have asked for interviews…all 18 of them.

The church then takes the names of the, now visible, pastors and combs through a fun little document that tells all the details of the pastor. Family stuff. Where he’s been up til now. What size town does this guy want to live in? Are there special interests, hobbies, needs that he and his family have currently? And how does he function in different settings with regard to how he does church work?

If the church thinks, after going through this paperwork, that I am someone worth pursuing and getting to know more, then they ask for an interview. It’s really that simple. And since my philosophy has been that God is way smarter than I am, it’s important that I take the due time to really make sure I go where God wants me to go. Not sure if you know this or not but if you don’t go where God wants you to go you could end up in some fishy scenarios. Just ask Jonah!

So to answer the question don’t you like us anymore, the answer is an absolute yes. I love the people I serve. I have friends and family here. I love the community and the house I live in right now. I love the facility we have for church and the property on which it sits. I value each and every relationship that has been part of this journey up to this point. Yeah I even love the people who aren’t here anymore.

This whole journey isn’t about whether or not I like or even love you all. That goes without question. If you ask around a little bit you’ll hopefully hear stories of how I’ve dropped my own needs to meet yours. And I would do it again today if needed. The journey is about God. Not you or me or them. It’s about God. All these other things are parts of the bigger picture, but at the end of the day where does God need me to be.

If it was about my wants, this would have been a nonissue a long time ago. If it was about my needs, I’m doing pretty good right where I am. This prayer and discernment time is about making sure my wants and God’s plan align. If they don’t, then we both know God isn’t going to change his plan which means my wants need to shift. But if my wants align with God’s plan, then a whole new fire is breathed into ministry because now we all know God is in this and what God brings together man can’t separate.

I hope this has helped you see this a little from a pastor’s perspective. It’s not an easy thing at all. Just because I don’t have a ton of emotion oozing out of me over it doesn’t mean that my sleep and diet and health aren’t messed up a bit during this time of prayer. Look Jesus sweat blood when he prayed because it was a hard thing in front of him. And while I’m not sweating blood or anything, I am taking this whole process very seriously because I love you all tremendously and I love the kingdom of God.

Thank you for the thoughts and prayers!

Have We Lost Our Voice?

July 12, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Your voice is something that’s easily taken for granted. I mean how often do we stop and think wow I’m sure glad I have my voice today? It’s not until we get laryngitis or a sore throat that we start to think about the sound of our voice. It’s generally not until it’s going away, or even gone, that we start to realize the importance of our voice. But I think we might be losing our voice.

For generations in our history, we’ve had to use our voices. From yelling out the front door that dinner is ready to talking to the clerk at the grocery, we had to use our voices. We had to speak and listen. Conversations were the norm for our society.

But something happened in the not too distant past. We let our voice grow quiet. And I fear some have altogether lost their voice.

It started with the telegraph then the radio and television, but quickly moved on to computers and phones and now all things virtual. You can live much of your life totally on the grid and yet not interact with another human vocally. I get it though. Some days we get that whole I can’t people today feeling. (I actually have a shirt with that quote.)

But what happens when we give up our voice?

When we give up our voice, we let someone speak for us. I remember when my grandparents were struggling with end of life issues related to Alzheimer’s disease. My mom had to be their voice. When one person gives up or loses their voice, someone else speaks for them. And if you don’t trust that person, it can be dangerous!

We’ve given up our voice in so many ways. I watch kids and the tendency to gravitate toward their phones or devices instead of interacting with real, live humans in front of them. I watch as someone would rather send a text or email instead of making a call or stopping in for a visit. When we give up, or lose our voice someone speaks for us and it often doesn’t end well. Even if the voice people hear is an assumption they’ve created!

If you look around you can see it everywhere. Parents have given up their voices to let the schools raise their children. Men and women have given up their voices at the polls because they think their voice won’t count. Even in churches we see people forfeiting their voices to praise teams or choirs.

As a pastor it’s so hard to look at the members of the church and see so many with arms folded and lips held tight. You have a voice! Use it! Or someone will speak for you. And if you don’t speak up, you can’t be mad that the outcome isn’t what you want.

We are in a really important time in history. There will never be another today. The decisions we make today will affect our kids forever. The way we use, or don’t use, our voices in these moments will set in motion the path for the future of society. I know it sounds heavy but it is!

It’s time to stand up for what we believe in. Disagree if you must but do it in an agreeable fashion. Respect other opinions but voice your own. We need to claim the voice we’ve been given and speak. And it has to start today.

No one can take your voice as long as you’re using it. So use it!

Am I Done?

July 11, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Ok…so it’s pretty common knowledge that I am a pastor. And it’s also probably not a secret that this is all I really know how to do – be a pastor that is. Something that’s no secret but maybe not known by everyone is that I recently received a call to serve as pastor of another church in a suburb of Detroit.

I understand that the idea of receiving a call isn’t a normal concept so here’s a quick explanation. In the corporate world there are head hunters who pretty much go around seeking people perfect for the opening in a specific company. They have a list of skills and items that need done and their job is to find the right person to get those jobs done.

Well in a call it’s kind of like that but not…all at the same time. In church world, at least in the church body to which I belong, when a church is in need of a pastor they gather a team of people to evaluate the church’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Then they match that with pastors around the church body who have interests and skills where the church has needs. And they extend an offer for that position to the appropriate candidate.

Where this is different than a typical corporate head hunter though is that we believe this position is really coming from God through the local church. So when a church needs a pastor they should be spending considerable time praying through the options available to them and extending a call based on where they feel God leading them to go.

This brings me to the title for this post – am I done? This is the question the pastor must ask when he receives a call to a new location. And this is the very question I’ve been wresting with for the past couple of weeks.

Have I taken the church I’m serving as far as I am able to take them? Am I hindering their forward momentum? Am I preventing them from growing both wider in their reach and deeper in their faith? Have I outstayed my welcome? Ok not really welcome but outstayed my capacity for leadership and discipling of the people.

This is a hard question to be certain. And the really hard part is removing emotions from the mix. It would be easy to say I have friends here so I’m not going anywhere. But that’s not really what the call is about. Actually that’s what makes the call of a pastor different from the hiring of a manger or employee. We don’t, or shouldn’t, stay or go because of friends or extended family. Sure we take others into consideration, but the decision is based on is God done with me here.

Throughout this process I’ve spent far more time listening than talking. I’ve asked far more questions of myself, the people around me, and my family than I have provided answers. I’ve called on men and women with whom I’ve surrounded myself in an effort to hear God’s voice through the wise counsel around me.

It’s not an easy process! Considering and praying through a call does NOT mean anything negative about the people I work with and serve daily. It just means that I need to be open to the possibility that God has something else in mind…something better for His kingdom. For me that’s the whole point of this discernment process. Is God done with me here? What is the best option for His Kingdom?

So for now we wrestle with the question am I done here. I now wait in prayer that God provides a clear answer and the comfort and confidence to boldly step in whichever direction he has for me to step.

These Feet

July 8, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I was there the day these feet were brought into this crazy world.

I was there the day these feet came home that snowy winter day.

I was there to wash those tiny feet and there to watch them grow.

I was there to show those tiny feet how to walk and run and play.

I was there to run beside these feet when they pedaled around the block.

I was there the day these feet stood strong as you confirmed your faith.

I was there to show these feet to march across the football field.

I was there to show these feet just how to drive.

I was there to send these feet away as this new life began.

I was there when those feet walked out a soldier that warm December day.

I was there when these feet bore the body of a man.

Today these feet left home for a long, extended time.

These feet now walk with strength and purpose that many won’t understand.

These feet are part of a brotherhood – past, present and beyond.

These feet now carry the weight of more than extra gear.

These feet, they hold the burden of a nation that has all but forgotten.

These feet still march with purpose. I see nothing changing that.

Now soon these feet will be darkened by the scorching desert sun.

These feet will walk in dirt and sand, be covered in sweat and grime.

These feet will hurt from hours of heat and unrelenting demand.

These feet belong to a boy who once called me his hero.

Now these feet belong to man I call the same.

These feet will guide you here and there but one more task remains.

There’s just one thing that I demand from these feet today. Bring back my boy when his tour is done that’s all that I can ask.

I’ll be there waiting for the day when these feet exit that car.

I’ll be there to hold the man whose feet that these are.

Which Way Do I Go?

July 7, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever had to make a really important decision? I mean one of those life altering decisions where each option has its distinct benefits, while at the same time there could be some drastic problems if you do things wrong. How do you decide what you should do? What’s your process for discernment?

Ok so there isn’t really a one size fits all approach but here are a few things that I’ve found helpful in times when I’ve been faced with an important decision.

Prayer

If you’re not a praying type of person, then maybe you don’t agree here. But I believe that prayer is the most important thing we can do when it comes to making decisions. But what do we pray?

This is the part that’s a bit trickier. I’m the kind of person who likes to pray for a super tangible sign showing me to go one direction or another. You know something like: write it in the sky for me please. Or have someone I haven’t seen in a while, who knows nothing about the scenario come over and tell me to make a certain move. Unfortunately, however it doesn’t always end up quite that easy to decipher.

So my prayer has shifted over time to something a little less sky writing and more a confident heart or easy stomach. You see when we have life altering decisions to make that could impact many people, it has a tendency to sit heavy on us. I’m the kind of person who wears this like tension in my shoulders, a migraine, or even one of those uneasy upset stomach feelings.

When I pray through the discernment process, my prayer shifts toward a self awareness of what makes the uneasiness go away. What causes the headaches to be less intense? What releases the tension in the shoulders?

Talk to People

Now this one is a bit easier and harder at the same time because there are two main audiences we will want to make sure to include.

First you will talk and listen to the people who will be directly impacted by the decision. Ask questions. Listen to their concerns. Gather information from them about what they are feeling.

Then you should also talk to people not involved in the scenario. These need to be trusted people around you who won’t be directly impacted by the decision. These are your friends or family who will be able to stay unbiased through the discernment process. Ask their feedback on your feelings. Run scenarios past them and let them weigh in.

Ultimately you want to have help seeing this thing from a variety of angles. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of the decision and totally miss something that is really important. This process helps you see more of the decision than you would have otherwise.

The Spouse

Admittedly, this one won’t be true for everyone because not everyone has a spouse. But if you share your life with a husband or wife, then you need to take a minute and listen to what they are hearing as well. One of the things we believe about marriage is that two people become one person in marriage. And that means, sometimes my wife is the ears and hears things I can’t. So when there’s a major decision to be made, take time to pause and listen to what God is saying to your spouse because it’s all too easy to hear only what you want to hear.

Scripture

Again, not everyone is a follower of Jesus. I get it. But I really think the Bible has something to say about many of the concerns and challenges we have in life. If we take time to dig around in the pages of the Bible, go back through some of the verse we learned as a child, or just open up and start reading we might just find some sort of answer nested in what’s there.

A word of caution here however, you can make the Bible say whatever you want it to say if you just pull a verse or word out of context. When you read something and it kind of strikes you in one direction or another, look around and see if you’re actually reading it in context.

Look, none of this is fool proof! I totally get that. But there is something to be said for each of these approaches. And if I’m being totally honest, you need more than one thing to help you make a big decision. I use all of these when I have a significant decision to make.

I hope this is helpful as you navigate what you’re supposed to do and how you’re supposed to do it. And there’s one final step. Move boldly and confidently no matter what you decide. You can’t second guess yourself because that can negatively impact you and the people around you. Walk forward with the confidence that you made the right decision. And remember, you can’t mess up more than God can fix.

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