Adjust Your Plans Based On God’s New Direction

Does God ever change his mind?

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Does God ever allow us to go in one direction and then give us a new direction? Recently I wrote on “How to Know God’s Will in Difficult Decisions.” As challenging as it might seem to find God’s will, sometimes it seems God leads us in one direction only to soon lead us in another.

A church I’m helping called a pastor to a ministry assignment about a year ago. We hoped for many years of ministry partnership, but recently he announced his soon departure. Did we misunderstand God’s calling? Did he misunderstand? Is he being led wrongly? Are we?

Sometimes it’s confusing.

So here are 3 things to consider about being led in a new direction:

01. Sometimes God’s leading is for a short season.

Consider the church planting ministry of the Apostle Paul. As he traveled, shared the Gospel and planted churches, his length of stay varied greatly:

DAYS: Sometimes he was almost immediately mocked, beaten and run out of town. See Acts 13:50-51 where at Antioch of Pisidia the apostles were quickly driven out and “shook the dust off their feet against them” as they left.WEEKS: Other times Paul stayed a few weeks, and then was led to move on. This happened in Thessalonica where Paul and Silas ministered for about 3 weeks before being led in a new direction, see Acts 17:2–4.YEARS: But there were places he was led to stay as long as 3 years. This happened in Ephesus, see Acts 20:31.

Generally speaking, people don’t like change. Change is unsettling, unknown and scary. Thus, we hope God’s leading is for us to stay put for years. But that’s not always God’s way.

In my own ministry, God has led in different ways:

• He led Carolyn and me to stay 13 years in the first church we were privileged to plant.

• But in the second church plant, we were only led to stay for 3 years.

• In my current assignment, I’ve been led to stay for over 18 years.

Each time God said to move on, whether it was 13 years or 3 years, Carolyn and I have tried to simply be obedient to His calling. Whether longer or shorter, that’s His choice.

(Note: This doesn’t apply to commitments such as marriage where there is a lifelong commitment.)

02. Sometimes God’s new direction is because we’re not ready for our more permanent assignment.

Consider the children of Israel as they left Egypt. The trip across the wilderness should have taken just a few months. But because of their rebelliousness, ingratitude and sin, it took 40 years!

Each time they messed up God said, “OK, another lap around the wilderness.”

Don’t you hate it when that happens!

But rather than despising the waiting for our longer term assignment, we need to utilize the waiting to learn and grow. Scripture is clear that we must “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 ESV)

The questions to ask as we struggle with God’s new direction and plan are:

• What does God have for me to learn where I am right now?

• How can experiences in my current situation prepare me for the situation I hope to be in some day?

• Why might God have me “take another lap around the wilderness?”

03. Sometimes God does change His mind.

God says “I am the Lord, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6 KJV) That means God’s character does not change.

But that doesn’t mean He cannot change His mind:

• Fatalism is the dangerous idea that everything that will happen is all predetermined and therefore inevitable. (See a great article about the Bible vs. fatalism HERE.)

• Faith is the belief that God moves as we pray, and that He makes “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). This includes God’s work in situations that we create through our own rebelliousness, sinfulness and stupidity! It says “ALL” things.

One example of this is when Abraham asked God to spare Sodom in Genesis 18. You might recall that as Abraham bargained with God, at first he asked for the Almighty to spare the cities if 50 righteous people could be found in it. When God said OK, he asked for 45, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. Each time God relented.

Yes, God is sovereign and in control.Yes, God is unchanging in His character.Yes, God is all-powerful (omnipotent).Yes, God is all knowing and knows the future.Yes, God is holy and never lies or breaks a promise.

But these facts don’t mean that He cannot change His mind and give us a new direction.

Note: Some Bible students believe that God doesn’t change His mind. For one example click HERE. My argument is that God can change His mind without changing His character. See Exodus 32:14and Jeremiah 26:19.

So what does this mean in practical terms? It means:

• We must constantly stay in tune with God’s leadings. (Again, please see my article on discerning God’s will HERE.)

• We must learn all we can from both the good and bad experiences in our current situation, to prepare us for our new direction.

• We must happily change our plans based on God’s new direction.

For more help on this website with decision making and guidance, check out these resources:

• Vision Retreat?

• 4 Steps to Identify Core Values and Make the Best Decisions

• How to Renew Your Mind and Think More Positively

• Having Just One Person to Please Brings Peace

• How to be Smarter About Failure in Life

• What Does God Owe Me?

• How to Hear From God

• Podcast: Why Aren’t My Prayers Answered?

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

How To Know God’s Will In Difficult Decisions

It’s easier than you might think.

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My wife Carolyn is better at making difficult decisions than me. I tend to think it all through very carefully, weighing the pros and cons, taking time to analyze all aspects and so on. Carolyn, on the other hand, comes to a conclusion quickly, announces her decision without hesitation and it’s over. I’ve often been a little envious of her in this.

A good example is when we first met. Carolyn was quickly convinced that I was the one for her and that we should get married. (She made it clear to me.) But I was slower to come to that conclusion. In fact, she is happy to take credit for our marriage happening. She’s convinced that if she wouldn’t have pushed me along, we would never have gotten married.

In my weaker moments like right now, I admit that she’s probably right.

Maybe you’re more like Carolyn or maybe you’re more like me. If you’re more like me, this article should be especially helpful.

I’ve gotten better at making decisions, both big and small ones, based on my biblical understanding of a passage of Scripture in the Epistle of James.

So from James 1, here are 3 steps to know God’s will in difficult decisions:

01. Thank God for your difficult situations.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 ESV)

When we face difficult situations, we often think that means we’re outside of God’s will. This passage says something different. Being in God’s will doesn’t necessarily mean that life will be easy. 

Verses 9 and 12 later confirm this truth.

So the first step in making difficult decisions is to thank God that even in trials, He makes good things happen.

The progress of this good that happens is described in verses 2-4: trials produce faith and steadfastness. In time, as we remain steadfast, we become complete or mature.

So stop thinking that ease means you’re in God’s will and trials mean you’re out of God’s will. Thank God that whether times are easy or difficult, He is making “all things to work together for good.” (Romans 8:28)

02. Pray for guidance and believe that God will give it.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

This step is remarkably simple: We are to pray for God’s wisdom and know that He will enlighten us.

In the past I’ve struggled with this because it seems too easy. I’ve thought, “Do you mean I just ask God for wisdom and He gives it?”

The answer is “Yes, that’s exactly what it says.”

Some call this:

• A leading

• A knowing

• A word of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8)

Sometimes this comes quickly. Other times it takes longer. But it is God’s promise to give wisdom or guidance.

It gets easier the more you learn to know the shepherd. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27 NKJV)

It’s not complex, but there is a danger. Sometimes we hear what we want to hear. For this reason, we must use other resources to confirm our leading:

• Scripture. Our leading must never, ever contradict the Bible.

• Spouse and family. The person who says to family members, “This is what God says to do and I don’t care what you think” is headed for trouble.

• Wise counselors. We should never be afraid to listen to and consider what others have to say on the issue. (Proverbs 15:22)

• The passage of time. Does the sense of leading grow with time? Or does it decline?

After considering these other resources, we can move ahead in faith and confidence in our difficult decisions.

03. Trust God’s guidance without doubting.

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-8 ESV)

In a nutshell, this verse says “don’t be wishy-washy.” Or “don’t waffle.”

This verse used to bother me. Now it is a great comfort.I used to see it as a rebuke. Now I see it as a confirmation.

I now choose the positive approach believing that God does lead (as He promises) and my job is to just to trust His leading. 

As previously mentioned, something that has helped me with this perspective is understanding that God’s leading in difficult decisions doesn’t mean all my trials will be over. In fact, God’s leading might lead me into the greatest trials of my life.

If that happens, we simply return to the first point: “Thank God for your trials.”

Carolyn and I had to do this when back in 2005 we bought property on which to build our dream home. But soon afterwards came the mortgage crisis and the “Great Recession.” No one would loan us money to build our new home.

Finally, one bank told us that if we had a million dollars cash in our bank, then they would loan us money. In other words, if we didn’t need the money, they would loan us the money!

For 10 years we waited. We asked bank after bank. We tried to think of every approach that might secure a construction loan.

We wondered if God had misled us. We almost gave up.

Finally, in 2014 we got a loan! Then we began building and moved into our new home in 2015. We were elated!

God had not misled us. He used the waiting time to build our character. Likewise, He will not mislead you. You can trust His leading, even in difficult decisions.

For more help on this website with decision making and guidance, check out these resources:

• Who Needs a Vision Retreat?

• 4 Steps to Identify Core Values and Make the Best Decisions

• quotecard We Make Our Decisions…

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Why Do We Need Foreign Missionaries?

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Some missionaries serve in their own country. Others like myself live in their home country and travel to other places. Others like the Apostle Paul have an almost completely itinerant ministry. And others like my guest on today’s podcast are foreign missionaries. Some may wonder why do we need foreign missionaries?

Steve Barrett, missionary to Japan.

My guest on this podcast is Steve Barrett who is serving Jesus with his wife in Japan. They are foreign missionaries. Steve grew up here in North San Diego County. He learned Japanese language in college and after marrying and moving to Japan.

Steve works with church planting and evangelism. You can hear more of his story on this podcast.

On this podcast you’ll also hear why we need foreign missionaries.

Japan is a great example of the need for foreign missionaries. According to the Disciple All Nations website, “In 29 of Japan’s 47 prefectures [like provinces or municipalities] at least 50% of the towns do not have a church. Two prefectures have no churches at all. Just one prefecture has a church in every town. Thus we conclude that not only have a large majority of those in Japan never heard the Good News about Jesus Christ, but they have little opportunity to hear the Good News, since there are so many towns that do not have a single Church.”

Here are some of verses related to this topic:

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”(Romans 10:13-15 ESV)

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:17-19 ESV, emphasis mine)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12 ESV)

“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 NIV)

Here are other resources from this website on the need for missionaries and evangelism:

• Five Questions for Those Who Think Many Roads Lead to Heaven

• 4 Great Questions to Ignite Passion for Evangelism in a Lost World

• How to Jump off the Fence and Decide to Support Missions

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• Five Questions for Those Who Think Many Roads Lead to Heaven

• Video – the Great Commission is for ALL Christians

• Podcast: Isn’t Christianity arrogant to claim to be the only way to heaven?

• Podcast: Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

• Podcast: Can salvation be received without the Gospel? (Inclusivism)

To learn more about this “Christianity Questions and Answers” podcast and how to submit your questions, click HERE. 

To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE.

To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth” click HERE.

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