Janna Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 How do you know, as a Christian, when to have a "child-like faith" -depending on the Lord to provide for you, depending on the Lord to "speak" to you, telling you what you should do, vs. when to take matters into your hands trusting that the Lord will bless your efforts? In other words, when do you search for opportunities vs. waiting for opportunities to find you (meaning, the Lord showed you something specific)? Is waiting on the Lord the "lazy man's way" or the child-like faith the Bible says you should have? Is choosing something and working diligently on it the right way or getting in the way of the Lord's work? Is it sometimes one thing and sometimes the other? How do you determine which times are which? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Are they necessarily mutually exclusive? I guess I look at it as doing my best, everything I can, while asking the Lord to bless my efforts because I know I'm not going to be able to do it all by myself. It's not a matter of one versus the other. God gave us the ability to work to improve our own situations, and he also commanded us to pray and ask for help and depend on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I believe that God gives me opportunities. If I am sick, He gives me the opportunity to go to a Dr. But despite the opportunities we have at this time, there are somethings that despite everything - we have to wait on the Lord. Ie. I have a friend undergoing cancer treatment. But her prognosis is not good. Definite time to claim God's promises - and to wait on His decision as to whether He will heal her or will take her home to heaven. Right now we are exploring a job/ministry/location change. We will pursue the opportunities but ultimately there are many things that God will have to work out for us before we could make such a change. So we do what we can do - then we wait on the Lord. And lest my above examples seem like I take turns doing my stuff and then waiting on the Lord - I am praying the entire time. And am trying to use discernment and wisdom which I believe comes from the Lord too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 My old pastor always says, "Do what you know to do, and you will know what to do." I suppose that sounds a bit trite, but we try to live by it. When my dh and I got married we wanted to move from LI, anywhere. It took 12 years of doing what we knew, working, going to church, raising kids until we knew it was time to move and that came about through a series of events the most obvious, dh being let go from his job. It was then that we knew it was time. My dh is such a cautious person, who thinks he has no discernment, but even he felt, knew it was time. We searched scripture and prayed a lot and asked for confirmation. We have received it. It wasn't easy, but we know that His will for us was to move. Does that help, or was it too convoluted and spiritually mushy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I believe that God gives me opportunities. Right now we are exploring a job/ministry/location change. We will pursue the opportunities but ultimately there are many things that God will have to work out for us before we could make such a change. So we do what we can do - then we wait on the Lord. Yes, I think this is how I see it as well. We should pray for direction and often God gives us an idea or a very strong feeling that we are either on the right path or not. There could be instances though when a matter is not directly under our control, such as choices adult children/family members make. I have been to Bible Studies where women were "waiting on the Lord" while praying fervently that their son/daughter would start or stop doing... Perhaps this can be called praying and waiting on the Lord, however, if a matter concerns me directly I feel I need to act - do something. For example, I did not find a job by sitting at home and waiting for the phone to ring, I did not get accepted to university by waiting on the Lord while doing nothing. I prayed and took action. I've been taught the course of action should be: prayer, act, see what doors open, choose in accordance with biblical principles. This leaves many opportunities wide open and can be frustrating when one is faced with seemingly equally good choices - more prayer and finally a decision. I also believe God honors our attempt to follow his guidance and should we truly fail to see the "road signs", He won't condemn us. If we fail to consult Him and run along blindly we may have to make more u-turns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I have two beliefs about this. God answers prayers in accordance to His will (and His answer is right). And we must work in conjunction with our prayers. I'm sure you've heard the one about the man stranded on top of his house and praying that God helps him, but then turns away a boat and a helicopter and something else. It's the same in normal things in life. We can use God's principles and such to weigh out options a bit, but we also must work in conjunction with prayers. Sitting in the house praying for a job isn't likely to get one landed in our lap; but following God's commands, looking for work regularly, and praying would help. But a lot of people attribute getting a job to God. However, when that job makes it difficult, even impossible, for you to be truly doing what God commands, was that job really from God? Would God tell you to do one thing and then give you something that made it very hard or impossible for you to do what he told you to do? I think we need to be careful for attributing everything (good and bad) to God. The scriptures talk about other sources and situations at play (Satan--being himself and at times an angel of light, time and unforseen occurrances, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 My pastor just finished a series of sermons on this very topic and they were very good, practical, and backed up by scripture. If you go to this link you can download the sermons (they are the first 5 listed - starting in January) http://www.enjoygrace.com/rss.xml The simplified version - is that we don't wait on "signs" from God. If the decision is not something clear cut in scripture, then we make the decision, applying wisdom - given by God - and trusting in his sovereignty. One interesting point to think about, in the book of Acts - Paul and the other apostles make several decisions that were not signs from God. They simply state that they thought it best to go ____________ . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 The simplified version - is that we don't wait on "signs" from God. If the decision is not something clear cut in scripture, then we make the decision, applying wisdom - given by God - and trusting in his sovereignty. One interesting point to think about, in the book of Acts - Paul and the other apostles make several decisions that were not signs from God. They simply state that they thought it best to go ____________ . I agree. I think we need to do what needs to be done and trust in the Lord's promises and sovereignty. I also believe desires are put in our hearts by God. Meaning, say a couple has the desire to go to Brazil as missionaries. In my mind, they don't need a sign from God to go; the desire is backed up in Scripture to go and preach the Word. It's not natural of man to want to give of himself in that way; the desire was put there by God. (caveat: obviously, I'm not referring to sinful desires). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I believe you can pray and God will provide but not always in the way you expect. If you need a job can you sit all day and someone call you randomly to offer it? Some people have that kind of experience but most do not. God gave us the intelligence to make smart decisions. My husband *may* lose his job next month. We have been through job loss in the past, so this time around we are praying for God's will AND job hunting. We trust in our search the right job God wants him to have will present itself and we have to be smart enough to take it. :-) We aren't sitting around waiting for a friend to call and find him a job you know? Trust the Holy Spirit speaking to you. If you are job hunting and a job 'feels' wrong...the people, the hours, the pay, everything makes your stomach churn, then don't take it and keep looking. Trust God. But you have the ability to make the choices in your life....and yes, when you make the wrong ones He can and will still bless you....it make be longer or not be in the way you expected but He will bless you. I don't think God wants us to be 'lazy' and just wait for Him to speak on anything in our lives...we are to live them praising Him. Our society demands money to pay for goods/services which means we need money from a job....we still have to live this life on earth. We are fully trusting that God will work out this situation we are in. We are prepared to go when He directs it. If dh loses his job and one locally doesn't present itself(been looking actively for 6 months) soon, then we will leave and trust that God's plan will happen. From experience, it takes being forced into things sometimes for God's will to happen. Dh got laid off years ago and we did not want to move here. Finally we had no choice and wow(!!!) it's been a real blessing being here. We are happy and our spiritual growth has been incredible these past few years once we saw it was always in God's hand for us to come here...we were the stumbling block all along. trust God through prayer and action. use common sense. no matter what you do God will find a way to make it bless you. Just don't get disappointed when His way isn't what you wanted/expected. It always turns out good if your 'child-like' faith is in Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I agree with several others, it is kind of both at the same time. We should look for opportunities, and know that 'things will work out according to His will'. For example, my DH and I knew that God was leading us to marry at 19, however we were nervous because those around us were saying we were too young, we did not have any money, we would not finish college and so on. Well, I was offered a full time job at the university that we were attending doing the same job I was doing as a student worker, the university paid for both myself and DH to go to school there because I was full time, a very cheap appt. came available, we found a wonderful deal on a car, and someone gave us alot of furniture and such because they were remodeling. God leads our hearts and takes care of the details if we follow Him and search out His plan for us. We have to step out on faith and trust that He will provide for us, however we do have to seek out his plan. That makes more sense in my head that it does on 'paper'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 #1 We are to obey in the little things - the things spelled out clearly in the Bible. #2 We are to pray that OUR desire is turned to HIS will (not the other way around;)). When we combine those two components, most things in life become very clear. When #1 is lacking, sin keeps us from hearing God's voice. When #2 is lacking, we will drift towards a legalistic self-righteous path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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