Direction

“Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?” Proverbs 20:24

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

Underline the key concepts found in this principle.

Direction is primarily for those who want to go somewhere. We all get somewhere, some unintentionally and others with a planned strategy. Either way, we should ask ourselves: Is God directing our steps, or are we on our own way? The question is: How can we know that God is directing our steps? First, we must be honest with ourselves and do what we know we should. An honest heart is always looking for, and responding to, truth. This honesty in our hearts creates an environment where God can influence us through our conscience or through friends who walk with God.

There are three benefits we get by allowing God to direct our steps:

1. A positive walk: God’s ordered steps are proven, for He is the way.

2. A faith walk: we do not have to understand everything because we know our end.

3. A walk in gladness: we know where we are going and what we are doing.

It is easy to walk with God if we know that He is directing our path. Walking with God comes from doing things that we know are pleasing to Him. We don’t have to understand everything that happens, but we will always have to do what we know is right. Doing wrong kills our faith and brings guilt. Guilt will destroy not only our businesses, but also our lives, because we lose direction and doubt ourselves. It makes us run from our problems, and eventually become ashamed of ourselves. But when we do what we know is right, we feel good about ourselves and towards God. We feel free and unashamed and fearless of whom we might run into because "the righteous are bold as a lion." Not everything we do may work, but we know that by doing right and walking in steps ordered by God, we will win in the end. Since we know that we are going to overcome, we don’t get discouraged. If we keep walking in His ways, believing and trying to do what we know is right, eventually we will achieve our goals.

It’s difficult to accept directions from someone who we don’t know or has no previous track record. But the more we learn about God and His ways, the more we will trust in His direction, because he has a history of directing people and making heroes who win in the game of life. It is always important to try to understand why things are the way they are. But there is also a time when we need to put our trust in God and keep on going. Even if we don’t understand everything, we can walk by faith for awhile.

Only things that move need steering. If we don’t believe that God is directing us, we need to re-evaluate our actions and intents, because faith and trust "come" from listening to what truth is speaking to our hearts. If our hearts condemn us, it is because we know we are doing something we shouldn’t be doing. When God speaks to our hearts, we should follow it - this will determine God’s level of trust in us. He has lots of good things for us, such as life, liberty and prosperity, if we allow Him to direct our steps.

Practice doing what you know is right for one week. You will be amazed at how much you will sense the Lord directing your steps, and you won’t insist on understanding everything - because the Lord directs the steps of a good man! Not accepting God’s direction is like saying that we are smarter than He is. Only the fool says, "There is no God."

This principle is part of the one year character development program: Foundations For Achievement.

Thoughts to Ponder:
You don't become great by being mentored by a bad instructor.