Guided by Trust, The Answer to the Stress of Indecision

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

When I'm afraid of making the wrong decision, it creates stress in my life.

But God has an antidote to indecision. Psalm 23:3 says, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (NIV). The way to handle the stress of decision-making—whether it’s a financial decision, relational decision, or vocational decision—is to let God guide me.

“But I’ve tried this!” I asked God to guide me, but then I became more confused than ever before. I still couldn’t figure it out, and I wondered why knowing God’s will is so difficult.

Is God playing games with me? Of course not! God wants to guide me. He wants me to know his will more than I want to know. But sometimes I look for the wrong thing when I'm trying to find God’s will. We all do this.

Some of us look for a feeling. Some want a formula or recipe to follow. Others treat it like magic—waiting for God to give them a big, fantastic sign.

These ways only lead to frustration and can cause me to miss God’s will.

God doesn’t want me confused, and he doesn’t want me stressed over making a decision. He wants me to ask him for guidance before I make a decision and then trust him and his goodness once the decision is made.

When I do, he sets me free from second-guessing myself.

James 1:6-8 says, “When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (NLT).

Here’s the good news: Even if the future looks uncertain, I don’t have to feel unsettled or stressed or afraid. God is stable, and I can trust his guidance. 

When I unequivocally trust God in uncertain times—in all times—he will give me everything I need to make wise decisions.

God will be there guiding me every step of the way. This is his promise, and I can believe it to be true: “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

In summary:

When faced with difficult decisions, I don't have to be overwhelmed by fear or stress—God promises to guide me along the right paths, as Psalm 23:3 assures. Often, I seek guidance through feelings, formulas, or signs, but God’s will isn’t found in confusion or gimmicks; it’s discovered through faith and trust. He desires to lead me more than I desire to be led, and when I ask in faith and commit to trusting Him fully, He frees me from doubt and second-guessing. Even in uncertain times, God's guidance is steady and reliable—He will show me the right way when I rely on Him completely.

Bottom Line:

When I trust God fully, He will guide me on the right path and give me peace in every decision.

The Power of Thanking God in Advance

"The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!'" 2 Chronicles 20:21 (NLT)

In 2 Chronicles 20:21, King Jehoshaphat had a very unusual way of organizing an army: "The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!'" (NLT).

Jehoshaphat’s battle plan was to put a choir before the infantry. Picture this: On one side, there are three enemy armies amassed to do battle against Israel. Then there’s the valley where they’re going to battle. Then there are the lowly Israelites. Jehoshaphat essentially says, “We’re going to take those of you who sing and make a choir out of you, putting you in front of the army as you march into battle.”

There’s a very important truth here: The Israelites were thanking God in advance for the victory. Praise and thanksgiving are verbalized faith. If I thank God after the fact, that’s gratitude. If I thank God before it happens, that’s faith.

Notice the effect of praise in verses 22 and 23: “When they began to sing, the LORD threw the invading armies into a panic. The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting" (GNT). God confused the enemy, and they turned on each other and destroyed themselves while the Israelites looked on. There is power in expectation.

That insurmountable problem in my life—the one with the odds may be stacked against me? When i thank God after he’s solved everything, that’s called gratitude. But when I thank him before it’s all settled—right in the middle of the problem—that’s faith.

When I allow God to solve my problems, it becomes a testimony to unbelievers. The world takes notice when his followers live by faith. And God loves to demonstrate his power in those who expect him to work in their lives.

So when facing a difficult circumstance—with money, relationships, or career and feel like the odds are against me or if I think my problem is overwhelming? What do I do? I need to turn to God, who defends me.

In summary:

I read In 2 Chronicles 20:21, how King Jehoshaphat demonstrated bold faith by sending singers to lead his army into battle, praising God in advance for the victory. This act of worship wasn’t just symbolic—it was a declaration of trust in God’s power before the outcome was visible. As the people sang, God caused their enemies to turn on each other, proving that faith-filled praise can unlock divine intervention. The lesson is clear: thanking God after a breakthrough shows gratitude, but praising Him before the breakthrough shows faith. When we trust God in the face of overwhelming odds, He not only fights for me but also uses my faith as a testimony to others.

Bottom line:

Praising God before the victory is an act of faith that invites His power to turn the battle in my favor.

Transformed Through Trials

“If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” 1 Peter 4:19 (NLT)

Before photography went digital, you took a picture, and the first thing you’d get was a negative. Then you’d develop the negative into a positive by going into a darkroom and shining a light through it onto photographic paper. This turned the negative into a positive, full-color photograph.

I'm learning that this is what God wants to do with the injustices in our lives. We have all experienced injustice. People have mistreated us. They’ve passed over us. They’ve taken advantage of us. God wants to take all the negatives, shine the light of Jesus through them, and turn them into positives—a full-color picture of the life I was made to live.

The Bible says, “If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT). The most important thing I can remember when I’ve been treated unfairly is that Jesus is on my side. 

Throughout Scripture, God shows special care for people who are treated unfairly. He is a God of justice. He hears my cry, sees my pain, and knows my hurt. I didn’t get what I thought you deserved. But God has a plan for my pain.

When I shine the light of God’s love through my circumstances, he can turn my pain into a beautiful picture. He develops my character through it. He makes me stronger. Most importantly, he uses my pain.

I’ll never get an explanation for much of the pain I'll endure in this life. When I get to heaven, I may understand more about why bad things happened to me. But God does not owe me an explanation for it.

The good news is that I don’t need an explanation. I just need to know that God loves me. He has a plan for me. God will settle the score with whoever hurt me.

God never wastes a hurt. Welcome the light of the gospel into it, and God will use my hurt—the very real injustice that has happened to me—to create a beautiful picture through my life.

In summary:

Just as a photographic negative is transformed into a beautiful image by light, God can shine His light through the injustices and hurts in my life to create something good and meaningful. When I suffer in a way that honors Him, Scripture encourages me to keep doing what is right and trust in His unfailing love and justice (1 Peter 4:19). Though I may never get an explanation for the pain I endure, I can rest in the truth that God sees, hears, and cares deeply. He uses my suffering to strengthen my character, grow my faith, and ultimately turn my pain into purpose—never wasting a hurt when I surrender it to Him.

When I trust God with my pain, He will use it to shape my character, reveal His love, and create something meaningful from my suffering.

Loving Like Jesus, A Love That Never Quits

“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)

The same love God offers to me, he wants me to offer to everyone else. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34 NLT).

As a follower of Christ, I must love everybody—whether I like them or not—in the same way that Christ loves me. That means I am to accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.

Loving others in this way will transform my relationships!

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (GW).

This is how God loves me. God never stops being patient with me. God never stops believing in me. God never stops hoping for the best in my life. God never gives up on me. That’s what God expects me to do with everybody else.

“Love never stops being patient.” That means love extends grace. I need to offer grace to others.

“Love . . . never stops believing.” That means love expresses faith. The people in my life should know that, even if things are strained between us, I will never stop believing in them.

“Love . . . never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Are I expecting the best in my marriage, with my daughter, grandsons, or with my coworkers? Or have I settled for less than the best? Have I become pessimistic or cynical when it comes to my relationships?

“Love . . . never gives up.” That means love endures the worst. It means I can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”

If I want to start loving the people God has placed in my life even better, I can say “Dear God, I admit that I’ve sometimes made a mess in my relationships. They’re complicated and broken, and I’ve often settled for less than the best. They need a transformation! So please begin by changing me.

“Help me to accept others, just as you’ve accepted me. Help me to love others unconditionally, just as you have loved me. Help me to forgive others totally, just as you’ve forgiven me. And help me to value others as much as you value me. Help me to extend grace to and express faith in the people around me. Help me to expect the best in others, and when the worst happens, help me to endure it and to keep on loving them. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

In summary:

God calls me to love others with the same relentless, grace-filled love He shows me—patient, faithful, hopeful, and enduring. According to 1 Corinthians 13:7, true love never gives up, never loses faith, never stops hoping, and never quits—and this is exactly how God loves me. As a follower of Christ, I'm commanded to extend that same love to everyone, whether I like them or not: accepting completely, loving unconditionally, forgiving totally, and valuing deeply. When I embrace this kind of love, it transforms my relationships, beginning with a prayer for God to change my own heart so I can love others as He loves me.

When I let God transform my heart, I can extend grace, endure in love, and build relationships that reflect His unconditional love.

Loved and Worthy: Living from God's View Of Me

“The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end.” Isaiah 54:10 (GNT)

If I don’t feel loved by God, it’s going to be much more difficult for me to offer love to someone else. But when I understand and remember how deeply God loves me, it becomes more natural—and even easy—to love others.

This is why I need to remind myself every day what God thinks about me—not what the world thinks or what I think about myself. “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe” (Proverbs 29:25 GNT).

Four truths God wants me to remember about who I am. These will help me to better feel his love and share it with others. 

I'm completely accepted.
I spend a lot of my life trying to earn acceptance from parents, peers, those I respect, those I envy, and even total strangers. But I need to realize that God has already settled this issue of acceptance: “Jesus . . . made us acceptable to God” (Titus 3:7 CEV). What Jesus did on the cross made me completely acceptable to God—no matter what I've done or will do.

I'm unconditionally loved.
God doesn’t say, “I love you if . . .” or “ I love you because . . .” He says, “I love you—period!” I can’t make God stop loving me, because his love is not based on what I do but on who he is. Isaiah 54:10 says, “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end” (GNT).

I'm totally forgiven.
Because Jesus died on the cross and gave his life as a payment for my sins, I am totally forgiven when I accepted God’s gift of forgiveness. Romans 8:1 says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT). God doesn’t rehearse my sins. He releases them.

I'm considered to be extremely valuable.
There are two things that determine the value of something: who it belongs to and what someone is willing to pay for it.

The truth is, I'm a child of God—and “you have been bought and paid for by Christ” (1 Corinthians 7:23 TLB). God says I belong to him, and Jesus paid for me with his life. That’s how valuable I am! 

When I remember that I'm accepted, loved, forgiven, and valuable to the Creator of the universe, I'll be better equipped to show that love to others and build deeper relationships. I must see value in myself to add value to myself and to others.

In summary:

Isaiah 54:10 reminds me that God's love is unwavering, even when everything else falls apart. When I truly grasp how deeply God loves me—that I’m completely accepted, unconditionally loved, totally forgiven, and extremely valuable—it transforms how I see myself and how I relate to others. God’s view of me matters more than the opinions of others or even my own negative self-talk. As I anchor my identity in His truth and remember what Jesus has done for me, I can love others more freely and genuinely. Feeling secure in God’s love empowers me to offer that same love and value to those around me. I must see value in myself to add value to myself and to others.

Knowing I'm accepted, loved, forgiven, and valued by God empowers me to love others with confidence and grace.

Be Led by Truth, Not by Feelings

“From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.” 1 Peter 4:2 (GNT)

What are human desires? They’re my emotions and my affections. Once I become a Christ-follower, my life should be controlled by God’s will, not by how I feel.

When I'm angry or upset or frustrated—whatever I'm feeling—I need to consider these three questions:

“What’s the real reason I’m feeling this?” Maybe the answer is fear or worry. Maybe it goes back to something parents said years ago. Or maybe someone hurt me last week, and today they’re the target of all my pent-up anger.

“Is it true?” Is what I'm feeling at that moment true? There’s a point in the Bible where Elijah got so discouraged that he went to God and complained, “God, I’m the only one in the entire nation of Israel left serving you.” And God challenged him, essentially saying, “Are you kidding me? I’ve got all these people who are still serving me! You’re acting like you’re the only one trying to do the right thing in the whole world! No. That’s not true.”

“Is what I’m feeling helping me or hurting me?” Will I get what you want by continuing to feel this way? A lot of feelings I have seem natural, but they’re actually self-defeating.

If I go to a restaurant, the service is extremely slow. I wait a long time to be served, and then a couple walks in 15 minutes after you and gets their meals before you do. I become increasingly irritated until I feel something welling up inside.

When something like this happens, consider each question: What’s the real reason I'm feeling that way? I'm hungry! Is it true? Yes. I'm frustrated because the service is slow. Is what I'm feeling helping or hurting? Getting angry with the server never works. When somebody tells me all the things I'm doing wrong, does it make me want to change? No! All it does is make me defensive.

When I ask yourself these three questions, I'll get a better grip on why I feel the way I do and what I need to do to help the situation.

That’s called managing your emotions.

In summary:

1 Peter 4:2 reminds me that once I follow Christ, my life should be guided by God's will, not by my human desires— emotions and affections. Managing my emotions means not being controlled by how I feel in the moment, but by seeking truth and alignment with God’s purpose. When emotions rise, I can pause and ask three key questions: What’s the real reason I’m feeling this? Is it true? Is this feeling helping or hurting me? These questions help me uncover deeper causes, challenge distorted thinking, and evaluate whether my emotions are leading me toward or away from God's will. This intentional process leads to greater emotional self-awareness and Christlike self-control.

I need to live by God’s will, not by my emotions, by pausing to reflect on the truth behind my feelings.

The Peace of a Surrendered Heart

“Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and give up your sins—even those you do in secret. Then you won’t be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless. Your troubles will go away like water beneath a bridge, and your darkest night will be brighter than noon. You will rest safe and secure, filled with hope and emptied of worry.” Job 11:13-18 (CEV)

The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear” (NCV).

So how can I learn to live in God’s love so that you can live free of fear?

Every day, I need to surrender my heart to God.

When I wake up each morning, before my feet hit the floor, I need to say, “God, before I even start this day, I surrender my emotions to you. I want you to be Lord of my feelings. I want you to control my mind and my emotions. I surrender my heart to you. I want you to fill me with your love.”

Job 11:13-18 says, “Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and give up your sins—even those you do in secret. Then you won’t be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless. Your troubles will go away like water beneath a bridge, and your darkest night will be brighter than noon. You will rest safe and secure, filled with hope and emptied of worry” (CEV).

I find three commands and eight promises in that verse. God says if I do this, then he’ll do that. In fact, so many of God’s promises come with a premise.

First, he gives me the commands: Surrender my heart to God every day. Turn to him in prayer. And give up my sins—confess my sins to God.

Then come the eight benefits: I won’t be ashamed, I’ll be confident, I’ll be fearless, my troubles will be like water under the bridge, the dark night I'm going through is going to be brighter than noon, Ill be able to sleep well because I am safe and secure, I will be filled with hope, and I’ll be emptied of worry.

Wow! These are great benefits to experience. I need to consider writing that Scripture on an index card and put it somewhere where I’ll see it throughout the week. Let it remind me to do those three things—surrender my heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and confess my sins—so that God’s peace will fill my life.

Do this and watch and see how God helps me “rest safe and secure, filled with hope and emptied of worry.”

In summary:

Job 11:13–18 reminds us that when I daily surrender my heart to God, turn to Him in prayer, and confess my sins—even the hidden ones—I open the door to a life free of fear, shame, and worry. This passage outlines three simple but powerful commands that lead to eight incredible promises: confidence, fearlessness, peace, hope, rest, and more. By starting each day giving God control of my heart and emotions, I'm inviting His perfect love to fill me and drive out fear, as 1 John 4:18 teaches. Living this way brings deep spiritual security and transforms even my darkest moments into light.