What are 3 common mistakes in discerning God's will?
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Navigating Divine Guidance: Beyond the Fleece
We’ve all faced that moment in the stillness of life’s crossroads—a looming decision, diverging paths, and our hearts left desperately seeking clarity on God’s direction.
Should we, like Gideon, lay out a fleece, demanding a supernatural sign?
Or do we dismiss the entire concept of divine guidance as subjective wishful thinking?
Perhaps the truth lies in neither extreme.
The journey of discerning God’s will isn’t found in formulaic tests or casual dismissal but rather in the intimate, intentional relationship He invites us into.
As believers standing at these sacred intersections, we’re called to something far more profound than magical thinking or spiritual indifference—we’re invited into the art of holy discernment, where wisdom meets faith, and Scripture illuminates our steps.
1. Seeking Dramatic Signs Instead of Biblical Wisdom
Many believers fall into the trap of waiting for extraordinary confirmations—dramatic signs, unusual coincidences, specific feelings, or even dreams—while overlooking the clear principles God has already revealed in Scripture.
This approach fundamentally misunderstands how God typically guides His people today.
Hebrews 1:1-2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”
This verse reminds us that God’s definitive revelation has come through Christ and is now preserved in Scripture. While God can certainly work through circumstances, the primary means of guidance is His revealed Word and our obedience.
The consequences of this mistake are significant:
Decision paralysis: Decisions about critical or timely issues wait, subject to the occurrence and interpretation of mystical and unmistakable signs.
Selective interpretation: People often interpret ambiguous events as confirmations of what they already want to do.
Spiritual anxiety: Constantly seeking signs creates unnecessary worry about missing God’s “perfect” plan.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The emphasis here is clear: Scripture provides comprehensive equipment for every good work, including decision-making. Rather than seeking additional revelation, believers should develop biblical literacy and apply relevant scriptural principles to their decisions.
2. Confusing Personal Desires with Divine Direction
This mistake involves the subtle self-deception of interpreting our preferences as God’s guidance, particularly when we feel strongly about a particular outcome. Our hearts have a remarkable capacity to spiritualize choices that primarily serve our comfort or advantage.
Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
This Scripture offers a sobering reminder about our capacity for self-deception.
Examples of this mistake abound:
A family might “feel led” to a church with excellent youth programs and a convenient location while ignoring concerns about doctrinal soundness.
An entrepreneur might interpret business success as a divine endorsement of methods that compromise ethical standards.
Parents might spiritualize educational choices that primarily reflect their values without careful biblical reflection.
Proverbs 3:7: “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.”
The correction requires rigorous self-examination, accountability from mature believers who will ask hard questions, and willingness to choose difficult paths that align with biblical values even when they contradict personal preferences.
It becomes critical to annihilate our sinful desires and submit to God’s revealed will in Scripture, even when it contradicts our natural inclinations.
3. Isolating Spiritual Discernment from Community Wisdom
This mistake reflects modern individualism rather than biblical guidance on discernment. The mistake here is attempting to discern God’s will in isolation, assuming their relationship with God provides sufficient guidance without input from the broader body of Christ.
Several verses warn of this, including Proverbs 15:22: “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed,” and Proverbs 12:15: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
This error manifests in several ways:
Families might make significant decisions about relocation, career changes, or child-raising approaches without meaningfully consulting mature believers in their church community.
Entrepreneurs might pursue business directions based solely on personal conviction without seeking wisdom from spiritually mature advisors.
Individuals might make relationship decisions based on personal feelings of peace while ignoring cautions from discerning brothers and sisters in Christ.
Ephesians 4:15-16: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
This passage reminds us that spiritual wisdom flows through the whole body, not just individual members. The correction involves intentional engagement with the church community—particularly seeking counsel from those with spiritual maturity and relevant experience.
This communal discernment is a crucial check against self-deception and provides wisdom beyond an individual’s limited perspective.
A Return to Scripture’s Steady Light
In our quest to discern God’s will, we often fall victim to seeking dramatic signs, mistaking our desires for divine direction, or attempting to navigate life’s complexities in isolation.
Yet Scripture offers a better way.
As we release our grip on fleeces and formulaic approaches, we discover the profound truth that God has already provided His guidance through His Word, confirmed by the wisdom of the faithful community and clarified through Spirit-led discernment. The path forward isn’t found in demanding supernatural confirmations or dismissing divine guidance altogether but in the humble submission to Scripture’s authority, the honest examination of our hearts, and the loving accountability of the body of Christ.
Here, in this sacred intersection of revealed truth and faithful community, we find not just answers for our decisions but the very presence of the God who promises to direct our paths as we acknowledge Him in all our ways.
PS…If you enjoy “The Inevitable Truth,” will you take a minute to refer this edition to a friend? It will go a long way toward helping me grow this newsletter (and share more Biblical truths).
Also, if you value this content, please consider subscribing and supporting it. This will allow me to continue offering the highest-quality posts each week.
Finally, I’d love your input on making “The Inevitable Truth” even more helpful to you! Please leave a comment with the following:
Ideas and questions you’d like covered in future editions
Your most significant takeaway from this edition
I read all of them!
Thank you!
Thad
You can view my LinkedIn Ghostwriting profile here.
Click here for a free 5-day LinkedIn Email course.