Q: I feel like I've completely lost direction in my life lately. At work, at home, and even in my spiritual life, I feel lost about where to go and what to do. I want to be guided on the right path according to God's Word, but I don't know how to start specifically.
The very moment you think you've lost your way is the beginning of God's grace drawing you back to Him.
Many believers experience this kind of confusion at some point in their lives. When promotions are blocked, when struggling with children's issues, when health problems arise, or simply when daily life feels meaningless. In such situations, we often blame ourselves asking "What did I do wrong?" or doubt wondering "Has God abandoned me?"
However, the most important thing to examine in life is faith. It is living with God at the center of my life, living by faith that believes Jesus is the Christ. The confusion and uncertainty you're feeling now may actually be God's process of leading you to a deeper stage of faith. It's like parents leading their children out of familiar environments to guide them into a broader world.
Find concrete hope through Moses' life.
Look at Moses up to age 40. Despite receiving the finest education in Pharaoh's palace and having everything, he became a murderer and had to flee while trying to save his people. This was the result of trying to accomplish God's will through his own ability and methods. Haven't you also had experiences where you worked hard with good intentions, but the results turned out differently than expected?
Until age 80, Moses lived in the Midian wilderness tending sheep. It was a time of concentration, laying down his past glorious position and great dreams, looking only to God and depending on Him. Was this period a waste of time? No. During these 40 years, God refined Moses' character and taught him how to depend completely on God alone.
Until age 120, Moses lived by faith alone. He led 6 million Israelites, parted the Red Sea, endured 40 years in the wilderness, and finally guided them to the Promised Land. The important thing is that throughout this entire process, it was not Moses' own ability but God's power that was revealed.
Now let me share specific methods step by step.
First, change your standard. What has been your standard of judgment until now? Worldly success standards? Other people's opinions? Or past experiences? Just as "The Lord said to Moses" is recorded 217 times, now make God's Word your only standard.
For example, when making difficult decisions at work, don't ask "Is this advantageous to me?" but first ask "Is this something that pleases God?" When struggling with children's education issues, rather than "What do others do?", seek "How does God want me to raise my child?"
Second, secure daily time for communication with God. Haven't you been postponing fellowship with God under the excuse of being busy? To have a face-to-face relationship with God like Moses, you need to meet consistently at a set time and place.
Specifically, start like this: Wake up 30 minutes earlier each morning and read the Bible and pray in a quiet place. During that time, entrust your daily schedule to God, pray for the people you'll meet, and listen carefully to what God is saying. At first, it may seem like you hear nothing, but if you continue, you'll learn to discern God's voice.
Third, turn your current situation into prayer topics. See your workplace, home, and relationships not as problems but as mission fields God has given you. View the people you meet as souls to be saved, and the problems to be solved as opportunities to experience God's power.
For example, if you have a difficult boss or colleague at work, don't think "That person is making me miserable," but seek "What way does God want to save and transform that person?" If you're facing financial difficulties, rather than "I'm anxious because I have no money," pray with expectation "How will God provide for my needs?"
Fourth, start with small obedience. Are you waiting only for great revelations while wanting God's guidance? God entrusts big things to those who are faithful in small things. Start by obeying basic things like reading the Bible, living honestly, and loving your neighbors.
When reading Scripture, if you encounter "Love your enemies," try greeting someone you dislike right away. If you see "Give thanks in all circumstances," try finding something to be grateful for even in difficult situations. When these small acts of obedience accumulate, you can hear God's voice more clearly.
There is a most important realization.
Just as Moses testified that God is alive in Egypt and throughout the land, while our outwardly apparent mission may be success or achievement, our real mission is to be with God through the Word and prayer. Promotions at work, business success, children's achievements - these are just results. What's truly important is experiencing and testifying to God's living presence throughout all these processes while walking with Him.
When you think you've lost direction is the best opportunity to focus on this real mission. When intoxicated with worldly success, God is invisible, but when standing at a dead end, only God becomes visible.
Finally, please remember this.
God has a special and specific plan for you as an individual, and He guides and accomplishes it safely and completely. The current confusing situations, unresolved problems, and frustrating relationships cannot be embraced without prayer.
However, the journey of faith will begin again in prayer where every moment enjoys being together with God. Just as Moses experienced God's perfect plan through his 120-year life, you too will experience God's amazing guidance from this moment on.
You haven't lost your way. God has made you pause momentarily to lead you on a more certain and glorious path. Just as Joshua and Caleb received a legacy of faith from Moses, you too are creating a precious story of faith to pass on to the next generation through this process.
Start deep fellowship with God from this moment. The amazing plan He has prepared for you will unfold.