How to Be Led by God’s Spirit

Life is a series of choices, and every decision carries a consequence. The potential for error is great because we are imperfect people facing decisions about where to move, what job to take, whether to marry, or whether to stay in a marriage. Indecision is one of the greatest sources of stress in life. The Bible says in the Book of James that a double-minded person is unstable in all their ways—the Greek word for unstable literally means staggering like a drunk, pulled in different directions by a decision. Even after making a choice, many people second-guess themselves and prolong the pain.

The antidote, according to Pastor Rick Warren, is to let God guide you. God has given humanity a roadmap (the Bible), a compass (conscience), and a personal guidance counselor (the Holy Spirit). A personal guide is better than any map. The question is why it feels so difficult to figure out what God wants. The real issue, Warren argues, is that people often look for the wrong thing from God. Psalm 23 is not really about death—only one line mentions the valley of the shadow of death. The chapter is about how God wants to guide and lead you all the way through your life. Because God is good, he has promised to guide. The good shepherd does not just feed his sheep; he leads them.

The Stops and Starts of Guidance