Seek then act

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

I have heard it said that "if you don't change direction, you may end up where you are headed." (Lao Tzu) The direction one assumes is the direction one will head. It is a mystery to me why some bemoan the outcome they get when they were headed in that direction all the time. It isn't that they didn't take notice of their course. They just didn't seem to change direction when they realized they weren't on the right course!

If we were to be honest here, we have all chosen a wrong direction or two in life, not heeding the warnings along the way, depending more on our 'understanding' than seeking God's wisdom. The determination of course was entirely ours. The outcome produced wasn't great. The moments getting from here to there were riddled with issues. Yet we chose to 'stay the course'. Why? It usually is some form of pride or selfishness that keeps us steady on the wrong path, isn't it?

I have even gone so far as to seek God about the path I was to take and then chosen a completely different one than I felt him telling me to take. If you haven't been that blatant in your own choices, good for you. We might not be as keen to admit we chose the wrong path when we are walking it as we are to call out when everything has fallen apart in the end. The moment we realize we aren't moving in God's direction is the very moment we should stop, drop to our knees, and turn toward him.

Many admit they ask for his will to be done but have very little interest in finding out what his will might actually be. They 'experiment' their way through life. One experience after another is like an 'experiment' in 'did I make the right choice', not even realizing that they weren't listening to his leading at all. When you ask them how they keep taking the wrong course, they often say it is hard to know God's will. It isn't really all that hard when you stop to discover him through his Word. The leading of the Holy Spirit was there for us, but we chose another course. His leading always aligns with what he teaches there.

Direction determines outcome. What direction do you take most often? If you act first, then seek his direction for the path to take, you have likely put yourself into situations that aren't exactly 'great'. If you seek first, then act upon how he leads, your direction will likely produce much better results. Just sayin!