“It is wonderful how God has led us. Here we are in New Zealand: *Andy’s job was wonderfully provided, the pay is great, we have a large house, lovely garden, beautiful view, the children are happy, the school seems great.
“The only drawback is that none of the churches in the area preach the gospel. But, it is wonderful how the Lord has led us here.”
This was in a letter some Christian friends of ours received some time ago from a Christian couple who had crossed The Ditch to begin a new life there.
But, I fear they were confusing God’s Providence with God’s Leading.
Why did they not stop to ask, “Why would God lead His people to a place where our souls will not be fed?”?
Far be it from me to compare the Land of the Long White Cloud to Sodom, but I couldn’t help comparing this, their journey east, with the way Lot went about making his own disastrous decision in choosing “the garden of the Lord”:
“Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord…
“Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east… and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom” (Gen 13:10-12)
Providence vs. Leading
It is not uncommon to confuse God’s providence with God’s leading.
Many years ago I personally was on the receiving end of the scorn of a person I once knew who was contemplating uprooting to a distant locality. When I suggested some reasons that it might not be wise, I was rebuked for opposing what was “obviously God’s will”. (I guess it wasn’t though as it never came off.)
The difficulty in interpreting the present workings of God’s providence is clearly seen in the dilemma that confronted Paul in Troas: “When I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, a door was opened to me by the Lord,” he says. (2 Cor 2:12)
Here, in the Lord’s providence, was a wonderful opportunity for evangelism: Paul had come specifically “to preach Christ’s gospel”; and here was “a door” “opened” wide by “the Lord” Himself to preach the gospel.
It seems like a no-brainer.
But Paul was deeply concerned for divisions that had emerged in a church across the sea, in Corinth. His colleague Titus had gone to seek to resolve the issues there, but had not returned.
Paul makes a choice: “I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.” (v 13)
Really? A “door wide open for evangelism” and he “takes his leave of them”?
Isn’t God’s providence of an “open door” to be interpreted as God’s leading?
Apparently not. Paul, walking closely with the Lord, prayerfully made a thoughtful choice: he gave priority to crossing land and sea to resolve divisions in the church, rather than take up a wonderful opportunity to engage in evangelism.
So, how do we decide? What are we to make of God’s providence?
Do we just ignore providence altogether?
Is there no place for the Lord’s “leading”?
Gifts and Guidance
Some rely heavily upon the gifts the Lord has given them for guidance.
Some years ago a young woman left our church because she felt her gifts were not being utilised where she was with us.
Her particular “gift” was puppetry; but we were not (still aren’t) into puppetry in worship. As she believed God had given her this gift, she looked to this as the Lord’s leading her elsewhere.
(I’m not sure if she ever found a suitable outlet for her talent.)
Maybe people do not rely upon their “gifts” as much now. Few expect to remain in the job for which they originally trained, or in which they originally felt they were especially “gifted”.
Many now accept that you cannot rely on “gifting” alone for guidance, that it can in fact mislead you.
But it is still a trap we can fall into.
In an earlier post I referred to how Moses misunderstood the leading of his gifts.
“Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.” At age 40, he believed the gifts and training God had given him were to prepare him for this hour. He “supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand…”
But he supposed wrong: the people “did not understand.” (Acts 7:22-25).
It would be another 40 years before he would be ready.
“Decision Making and the Will of God”
Some years ago Garry Friesen’s book appeared: “Decision Making and the Will of God.”
For a while (as happens) it became the flavour of the month among evangelicals, and spawned a number of similar titles by other authors.
The basic thesis of these books was to take aim at those who were looking for “God’s ideal, detailed life-plan designed for each individual’s life.”
“Such an ideal doesn’t exist,” these books stated.
“There are only two ways the Bible speaks of God’s will:
– His sovereign will – seen in what actually happens (providence);
– His revealed will, i.e. what He commands us to do in the Bible.
There is no ideal, special will for each individual.”
Friesen and others had a lot of good things to say, especially in re-focusing our attention on what God has revealed in His Word.
We are rightly wary of those from a charismatic background who confidently tell us what God has “told” them, apart from God’s Word. Like the person who turned up at my friend’s door, stating God had “told” him he was to stay there for a week; my friend replied, “Maybe, but God hasn’t told me” – and shut the door in his face.
It is important, in making decisions, to leave God’s providence to Him and to give priority to God’s Word: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deut 29:29
Many mistakes are made, many sins have been committed, by those who rely ultimately upon their subjective interpretation of providence as the Lord’s “leading”.
Many a Christian has ended up marrying a non-Christian (contrary to God’s Word, 1 Cor 7:39 etc) because “God’s providence” “led” them in bringing them together.
Or later in life, the Christian looks back on such a decision, and justifies it because “in God’s providence” they are still together; or, “in God’s providence” their spouse has now become a Christian. So obviously, it was God’s “leading”.
Similarly, many a church has gone astray, as the Uniting Church here in Australia did fifteen years ago when over 75% in the UCA voted to support the ordination of openly homosexual clergy. More recently, following a majority vote back in July, the Uniting Church officially recognised same sex “marriage”. The President of the UCA justified this as God’s leading: “God’s grace has been abundant… and together we have reached a decision on a way forward for our Church.”
Cases like this are clear enough:
Where God’s Word is clear, it alone must direct our path.
Decision Making without the Word of God
But what about where it is not clear, i.e. God’s Word does not specifically address the particular issue you are faced with.
Especially if there is more than one good option to choose from – what to do?
- Should I take this job?
- Should I marry this person?
- Which church should I attend?
- Which school should I send my children to?
- Should I take that holiday?
O.K., some will say, “It’s not like there are usually lots of options in these matters. It’s not as though you just go to the wife-shop (or husband-shop) and pick one out of many.”
But even where there is only one option, you still have to choose whether to take it or not.
In such cases, there are still principles in God’s Word to guide you, even if there is no clear command for or against.
Eg. Should I take this job? Ask:
– Will it provide for my family?
– Will it allow enough time for my family?
– How will it impinge on my commitment to my church family?
– Is it a useful contribution to society? etc.
…the Bible has something to say on each of these questions.
But, having asked all those questions, is it wrong in addition to be looking for the Lord’s special leading?
It is here that I believe some of the “decision-making-and-the will-of-God” books overstate their case in discounting the Lord’s leading.
I believe the Lord does lead:
I believe the Lord did lead me to Eileen, and Eileen to me, more than 46 years ago.
I believe the Lord did lead me into the ministry 43 years ago; I believe in a “call” to the ministry (contrary to what some of these books teach).
Leading: Past and Future
But, since the Lord’s special leading occurs within the scope of the Lord’s providence, what He is doing in His present workings is not always easily discerned: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…”
It is right to pray for the Lord’s leading for the present and the future.
But certainty about the Lord’s leading usually only becomes clear as we look back to the past, after the test of time.
Until then we need to be wary lest we be overly-wise in interpreting God’s providence and see only what we want to see.
Or, even worse, to claim “the Lord’s leading” to forestall criticism of our decisions. As Kevin DeYoung observes (“Just Do Something”): “If we say ‘God told me to do this’ or ‘God’s leading me here,’ this puts our decisions out of reach from criticisms or concerns.”
I look back on 46 years of marriage and praise God for the way He led me to Eileen (and, thankfully, Eileen to me).
But it would not have been wise to insist upon my interpretation of the Lord’s providence in deciding whom to marry: “Eileen, it is the Lord’s will for you to marry me; refuse, and you are resisting the Lord’s will” …I’ll leave you to fill in how that conversation might end.
Likewise, I look back over 43 years, and thank God for putting me in the ministry; I believe in a “call” to the ministry.
But for me to have insisted that others recognise this simply because I believed it was the Lord’s leading would not have gone down well.
I am thankful for the Lord’s leading in the past where that is clear.
I pray for His leading in the future.
But I am cautious about how I interpret the Lord’s special leading in His providence in the present.
Focus instead on:
– walking closely with the Lord,
– obeying what He has revealed in His Word,
– prayerfully making thoughtful choices,
– and trusting Him for the outcome.
As you “walk in the Spirit” in this way you can expect to be “led by the Spirit” (Gal 5:16-25).
Roger Ellsworth notes: “Christians often vex themselves with the question of whether they are ‘finding the Lord’s will’ for their lives. What consolation we have in… the Lord’s shepherdly care! The Lord has promised to lead his people. We should not concern ourselves so much, then, with finding the Lord’s will as with walking close to the Lord. Peter Jeffery well says: ‘Our problem is not really one of guidance, it is one of closeness to God.’”
Then we can be confident the Lord will lead us – at least, overall, even if you (like me) make some stupid mistakes along the way.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6