When You Don't Know What To Do

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility,

for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,

seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

1 Peter 5:1-10

[Title] When You Don’t Know What to Do

Not knowing what to do at times leads us down the wrong roads. And in life we find more times than not that we don’t know what to do when a situation arises in our life. In today’s message we will look at four guiding principles we should turn to before we step out on our own in handling our life’s issues.

1 - Try Being Prayerful

This is the one area of Christian life where we do not give great importance to. Have you ever noticed what great comfort you feel after talking a problem out with a friend or family member? Well, that comfort is also there with our Father in heaven, the one whose words are faithful and true, the one who can solve a lot of our problems.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Many of us fail to pray as we should. We fight the Holy Spirit when He leads us to pray for ourselves and others, and in so doing we may miss the blessing that God wants to give us. We become so wrapped up in trying to decide what to do that we fail to ask God for His guidance.

If we are to come to the right decision, we must ask God, listen to God, obey God, and wait on God’s time. When we don’t know what to do, we must “pray without ceasing” and in our prayers we must believe that God will give us what we need.

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Matthew 21:22

While kayaking in southern England off the Isle of Wight, Mark Ashton-Smith, a lecturer at Cambridge University, capsized in treacherous waters. Clinging to his craft and reaching for his cell phone, Ashton-Smith, thirty-three, called his dad. It didn’t matter that his father, Alan Pimm-Smith, was training British troops in Dubai 3,500 miles away. Without delay, the father relayed his son’s Mayday to the Coast Guard nearest to his son. Within twelve minutes, a helicopter retrieved the grateful Ashton-Smith. Like this kayaker, when we are in peril, our first impulse should be to call our Father in heaven — the one we trust to help us.

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

Know that this is Jesus’s desire, that you call upon Him and let Him know your cares and worries. What friend can truly say that they are there for you no matter what? No other friend than Jesus.

2 - Try Being Patient

When James Garfield, later to become the twentieth president of the United States, was principal of Hiram College in Ohio, one father asked him if the course of studies could be shortened so that his son might be able to complete his studies in less time. “Certainly,” Garfield replied. “But it all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, He takes one hundred years. When He wants to make a squash, He requires only two months.”