Guidance from God

Guidance from God

Image courtesy Scott Chan at www.freedigitalphotos.net

Purposeful Pathway is a haven for faith-based entrepreneurs. Part of my mission is equipping faith-based businesses with information that is practical, actionable and Scriptural. The theme of this post is seeking God’s guidance.

Seeking guidance from God: this is something we must do at all times and in all things. Yet it is natural for our rational minds to take over in business, particularly in “small” decisions. God gave us the wonderful gifts of reason and rational thinking, and we should embrace and apply gratefully these gifts. Yet we must never do so at the expense of tuning out God’s voice. The gifts should never supersede the Giver.

I am sure, as a faith-based entrepreneur, you know this deep in your heart. But what does this look like in action – and, specifically, in business? As an example: you receive an invitation to participate in a business opportunity. On the surface it seems like a great fit for your business vision; it is aligned with your goals and your schedule. Perfect, right? But perhaps you have a slight “off-feeling” about it; you cannot determine why you have this feeling. You simply know you feel a little “off” about it. When we are extremely busy, it is easy to dismiss this off-feeling…particularly if it is very subtle. When we are moving quickly, we want to check the item off the to-do list by answering “yes” or “no” to the invitation. Yet, as tempting as it may be to plow through another to-do, this is the time to slow down. The “off” feeling – soft and subtle as it may be – is there for a reason. Our God is gracious to give us our feelings. Yes, even bad feelings are a tremendous gift. They warn us. They give us clues. They direct us. If we allow them to.

It may be rather easy to heed an “off feeling” when it is overwhelming or at least pronounced. Our off-feelings, however, are often very subtle. Quieter than a soft whisper. For this reason, it requires a conscious and concerted effort to quiet everything else in order to hear this signal.

So, as busy as we may be, this is the time to pause. To breathe. To pray. As practical and as rational as the opportunity may seem, we must remember that God sees everything. Even if the opportunity is good in and of itself (oftentimes this is the case), God may have other plans for you. There are only twenty-four hours in a day, and He may deem that your time would be more effectively spent elsewhere. He knows what is best. He sees the big picture. He is weaving the eternal tapestry.

Here are some actionable steps for seeking guidance from God:

1. Be very conscious of your feelings, subtle as they may be, when making decisions. Journal about your feelings. Where are you feeling the discomfort? In your stomach? In your shoulders? In your neck? Take note of the discomfort and its location in your body. If you are attuned to your body signals, take note of what discomfort in that certain area generally signals (such as anxiety, uncertainty, sadness, overwhelm).
2. Pause to pray. Ask God what these feelings mean. Request His perfect and precious guidance and wisdom.
3. Wait for His answer. If you do not hear His voice, read His Word. Write about the situation. Look for signs throughout your day. Perhaps God will whisper to you through a friend, an email or a devotional.
4. If you require time to make your decision and others are impacted, inform the involved parties of this. Do not allow the feeling of being “rushed” to push you into a hasty decision. Inform all involved parties that you need time to think and to pray.
5. Once you hear or read God’s answer, embrace it completely. As irrational as it may be, move forward. For example, decline the invitation or stop the creation of the product. Do not procrastinate sharing your decision with others due to being afraid of their negative reactions; furthermore, do not overanalyze the reactions of others. Be firm but graceful. Simply do what God wants. Stay clear in your mind that your decision is for the highest good of all and for the highest glory of God.
6. Rejoice in the rewards. You may not see the rewards immediately, but oftentimes you will see them soon thereafter. You may hear yourself saying, “Oh, that’s why God didn’t want me involved; He wanted me to do this instead.” Even if you never comprehend why God led you to make a certain decision, you can rejoice in knowing that you heeded His voice. Doing so strengthens your ability to hear Him and to heed Him in the future.
7. Give glory to God! It is amazing how God, the Creator of heaven and earth, will guide us step by tiny step if we allow Him. How blessed we are that our Father is so intimately involved in our lives! Give glory to God for guiding you ever so tenderly and lovingly.

When we step back from our businesses and do the irrational (if God so leads us), we give space for God to work miracles. We allow His strength to shine. When we step back from opportunities, as irrational or as unpleasant as it may be to do, we give God the opportunity to work powerfully in our situation for our favor – and for His glory.

We remember that our businesses are most blessed when we work in His strength rather than our own.

So let us be intentional in stilling our hearts and hearing our Father’s voice.

Let us embrace guidance from God.

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank You tremendously for the love you lavish upon us. How blessed we are by the whispers You share. May we still our hearts to heed them and may we embrace Your guidance with a joyful heart. We love You so very much, and we desire to glorify You in all we think, say and do. Bless our businesses and our lives; allow them to be vessels for Your divine will. It is in Jesus’ Name we pray…Amen.

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Want to pave your own purposeful pathway? Contact Caroline via caroline@purposefulpathway.com to schedule a free “Boost My Business” Consultation. Walk away with heightened clarity, renewed enthusiasm and a customized written action-step plan for your business.