By Mark Wilmoth

Some folks try to live life by following a door philosophy. If they try a door and find it open, they interpret that to be God’s choice for them, a sign of his approval for them to enter that door. Alternatively, a “closed door” is interpreted to be God’s sign that they should move along and try something else.

That philosophy is attractive. It’s comforting to feel like you’re living within God’s will and a relief to feel like God is in control of your life. A lot of the worries and burdens of life feel lighter when viewed through this lens.

Unfortunately, there’s no biblical evidence that life actually works that way!

Abraham, for example, knew that he was following God’s will when he left Babylon and headed to Palestine. But when Abraham arrived in Palestine, he endured famine conditions and was forced to migrate to Egypt just to survive. While Abraham was there, Pharaoh nearly took Abraham’s wife away from him. Should Abraham have interpreted his trials and difficulties as a “closed door” and returned to Babylon?

Samson, on the other hand, found Delilah’s door wide open. You know how that worked out!

Do you remember what your 6th grade teacher taught you? “God put a head on your shoulders for a reason. Use it!” Psychologist and minister John Ortberg quotes a famous author on this subject – Dr. Suess, who wrote, “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose. O the places you’ll go except when you don’t, because sometimes you won’t!”

Believers already know the general will of God – that we should exercise dominion over His creation, that we should be saved through Christ and live to please Him, and that we should try to help others find salvation as well. Beyond those basic guidelines, however, humans enjoy freedom to choose their own paths and determine their own destiny. We have freedom to choose, and sometimes those choices will result in mistakes. When that happens, we have the freedom to learn from those mistakes and try again, or to give up and deal with the consequences of discouragement. We have freedom to choose. Columbia University researcher Sheena Iyengar calculated that the average person will make about 1.8 million choices during their lifetime. That’s a lot of responsibility God placed on our shoulders!

There are, however, some principles and practices that can help minimize the pain and maximize the gain while making those choices.

First, rather than asking God to make the decision and relieve you of the responsibility (and the adventure!), ask Him for the wisdom to evaluate options and make a good choice. James 1:5 counsels, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Seek advice from others, especially those with knowledge and experience in the arena of your uncertainty. Proverbs 12:15 reads, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

Look for the path that fits who God designed you to be. What are your passions, your interests, your desires and your past experiences? God shaped your past to bring you to the point where you can make the present decisions. Don’t waste all that knowledge and experience.

Recognize that there might well be more than one “right” choice. According to the Smithsonian, there are about 350,000 varieties of beetles in the world, 30,000 of them known to live here in the United States. If there was only one “right” way to make a beetle, did God make 349,999 mistakes? On a more practical level, Brian Bransfield writes: “You’re not cornered into marrying this woman or not; there are more than 6 billion people in the world. You’re telling me that God looked at you and said, “There is only one thing you can do in your life. I know it and you have to guess it?”

So make your choices and enjoy the life God gave you. Seize the day! Remember that even when a choice goes awry, you can learn from your mistake, be better for it, and then move on and try again. Even our mistakes contribute to growth. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in ALL THINGS (emphasis mine) God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church in Marietta and can be reached at Minister@PinehurstChristianChurch.org