Page 137 - First Steps 2023

No one but God should control you spiritually. God seldom tells
another person what you should do; if you’re asking, he will speak to you
and use others to confirm what he tells you.

• The Holy Spirit provides peace
Listen to your conscience and ask: Is this thing I’m considering right
or wrong? The Holy Spirit can use your conscience to nudge you toward
truth.
Consult your intuition, too. Is what you’re thinking of doing been
given to you by the Spirit, by insight into Scripture, or by a sense of your
calling or other leading of God?

And do you sense God’s presence in what you’re thinking? Do you
have peace?
If you’re experiencing peace, proceed with greater confidence. As you
mature in Christ, listening to what God is saying through the Spirit be-
comes second nature – you just have a sense.
This does not mean that you don’t consider the other parts of the
Cycle of Confirmation, but you will be amazed at how often what the Spirit
says matches more Bible information, more confirmation from those you
trust, and how closed doors are opened.

• Understand your circumstances
Circumstances can be an indication of what God has already decid-
ed. If doors are opening, funding coming together, green lights flashing,
that’s something to consider.
If the opposite is true, that’s a consideration, also—but not necessar-
ily a stopper.

Interpreting circumstances can be the most challenging aspect
of discerning God’s will. An open door doesn’t mean you should walk
through it, and a closed door doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pry it open.
As the Spirit convicts, the Bible instructs, and other believers weigh
in, you’ll be given perspective on what circumstances might be telling you.

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