Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Debelak
I guess the best way to describe what I'm getting at is to say:
There's a difference between 1) "making assumptions about what is right" versus 2) "not taking a position on whether something is right or not" while continuing to petition the Lord for clarity.
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Well, the second is not making an assumption at all.
But my point is we can't function without making some assumptions. Let's say for example you are sharing the lead in a Bible study and its your turn to pick a subject. You pray to the Lord for a subject, but don't really get a clear leading. Should you tell your partners that you can't teach anything because you don't have a clear leading, or should you just go with your best guess? My experience is usually you do the latter.
One time I was in between jobs and I got two job offers. I prayed but I really didn't know which job to pick. So I just picked the one I liked best. Five years later I have little doubt now that's the one the Lord wanted me to choose, even though I couldn't figure it out at the time.
Many times we have to go with our best guess. And that includes on how to have church. But that doesn't mean we go around telling everyone we're right. We're just doing the best we can. I think the Lord honors and blesses that.
I think it's often easier to do something and have the Lord correct you than to wait around in a passive state for some kind of clarity. You learn from your mistakes, not your successes.
Even Paul wrote 1 Cor 7 about marriage and at the end only said "I think I have the Spirit of God." He didn't say "I know I have the Spirit of God." He started out not thinking he had a word (v.12), so he gave his opinion. Then his opinion ended up being the word, even though he only started realizing that as he dictated the letter. He was, for lack of a better phrase, going with his best guess.