“The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
Life is filled with choices. Some of those choices are extremely difficult to make. We might be plagued with thoughts like “Am I making the right decision?” “What if this ends up being a bad choice?” “Which opportunity does God want me to take?”
Frequently I will have people (mainly students) who are agonizing over a decision. There are several job offers before them. Which job should they choose? Which job is the “right” one? Such questions are logical. However, I believe Solomon has provided us some direction here. I use Proverbs 16 as a foundation to what I say next:
Have you prayed about it? It is important that we cast all our cares upon God. He is concerned about us (1 Peter 5:7). In Proverbs 16:1 a man plans out his life, but “the answer” is from the Lord. By using the word “answer,” it is clear that the person mapping out his life has brought that “map” to the Lord. He has prayed about it!
Do you intend to serve God no matter what? It is clear that God needs workers everywhere. There are white fields ready for harvest all over the world (cf. John 4:35; Matthew 9:37-38). Solomon says to “commit your works to the Lord” (v. 3). This shows that the intention is for one’s work to please God and to advance His agenda. It may be that one job opportunity is in a location that has few evangelistic opportunities. It may be that it is a location where it will be more difficult for your family to serve. If such is the case, then that job should be rejected.
Have some doors closed? If such is the case, then rejoice and be glad! If the person has prayed about it, and it is no longer an option, then the answer has come from the Lord. For whatever reason, it would not have been a spiritually healthy job (or environment). Solomon says that “the answer” is from the Lord. In this case the answer was “not that job.”
Is there only one open door? Sometimes there have been numerous applications submitted (or interviews), but no job offers except one. As mentioned earlier, those doors have closed. Consider the lack of a job offer to be a gift from God. He is giving clear direction with the one open door. Here he is “directing your steps” (v. 9). This is not to suggest that the job or location will be without problems. It may be that your desire to serve God is such that He is bringing you into a difficult situation. He is counting on you to be His watchman (Ezekiel 3:17-21) or His peacemaker (Matthew 5:9). Never say, “If I had known this church had all these problems I would never have come here!” Instead say, “I prayed about it, the door was open to come here, therefore God must need me here. Time to get to work!”
Are there many open doors? Sometimes there are two or more job offers. While a blessing, it can also be agonizing! What makes this difficult is the belief that only one is the right one. A person will ask: “Which one does God want me to choose?” This is not the right question. If you have prayed about it, and both doors have remained open, then God is saying “pick one. Either will be fine!” Still though, one agonizes over the choice. Am I picking because it includes more pay? Better benefits? Better location? This is where the man “plans his way” (v. 9). His planning includes weighing the positives and negatives of every opportunity. If moving to a more desirable location ends up being the point that tips the scales, so be it. There is nothing wrong with that being the reason. Why? Because God kept that door open. If God kept the door open, it is acceptable to walk through it.
In Proverbs 16:1-9, Solomon is acknowledging that men must make “plans” for his life. With God’s help, making those plans just became much easier. “Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).
Denny Petrillo