Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus…
There is great value in making a list of pros and cons when trying to make a decision. But I’m convinced that it’s not decisive. Consider Paul.
He could have likely made a list of a hundred reasons why he shouldn’t have been an apostle. He could have been just like Moses and gave the Lord a thousand reasons why he isn’t the man for the job. And those thousand reasons would have been just as valid as that of Moses. And they would have mattered just as little as they did that day by the burning bush.
You see, God always carries the trump card. If he plays it on the “pro” side or the “con” side it doesn’t matter what—or how many things—are on the other side of that list. God wins.
When you are pressed with a decision remember that.
Not Mysticism…
I’m not advocating some sort of mystical hide and seek with the Lord. As I read through the Scriptures I don’t see him playing that way. Fundamentally, I believe the Lord speaks to us through His Word.
In other words, you can make a list of 250 reasons why you ought to shack up with your girlfriend before marriage. And each of those reasons might seem very good. But at the end of the day God, through His Word, has already played the trump card on the other side.
But there are other times when God’s Word doesn’t tell us specifically what to do. There wasn’t a Bible verse that told me to marry my wife. I had plenty of guidance about what type of woman I should pursue. I had counsel form Scripture to seek counsel from others. But at the end of the day we have to rely on God’s ability to communicate to us His desire.
God always carries the trump card.
You disobey that and he has a way of turning every one of those perceived pros into a con. At the end of the day, I want to have a heart that believes that whatever side the Lord is on (no matter how difficult) that is the side that I want to be on. I want to delight when God lays that trump card on the table. I want to delight because His way is always better and everything He does is for our good and His glory.
