“Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  Ephesians 5:15-17

She talked about the moment God told her to marry him. She knew that she knew: the man was her “chosen one.”

Problem was… he was not a believer. Not even close. As a matter of fact, he was devoted to a very different religion.

Words came out of her mouth at a speed that made my head hurt. She went on and on about how she believed God had chosen her to evangelize the man. She just knew it! She gave me bible verse and told me stories, talked about divine encounters and signs. No one would convince her otherwise. She was to marry the man. And thus, my new friend said “yes” and became his wife.

At the time this happened, we were only acquaintances and I was a new believer, but I remember thinking… If this is really God’s will, why do you need to justify it to me – a stranger, practically? If this is truly God’s will, why are you so agitated?

This happened years ago and I’ll never forget it.

The marriage did not last.

He did not change his beliefs, and my friend ended up experiencing betrayal, loss, and unthinkable brokenness.

When she told me they were divorcing, I could not help but remember our first conversation, and how odd it seemed to me that someone I barely knew felt the need to justify her decision to me, a stranger. But the tragic end of the relationship was only a confirmation of what I wish my friend had understood before it was too late:

She was heading outside of God’s will and, deep down inside, she knew it.

For the past couple of months, I have been writing a blog series: Six Signs You Are Heading in the Wrong Direction. If you missed the first five signs, you can find links to the previous blogs at the end of this post.

Today I want to talk about the last sign that may indicate you are headed in the wrong direction, away from God’s best for your life:

Sign #6 – You find yourself justifying your decision, repeatedly.

I will be the first one to confess that, just like the previous signs I wrote about, I also know this one from personal experience. I too found myself justifying a (wrong) decision out loud in the past, as if I owed an explanation to everyone around.

So, I get it! Truly – It’s not that we think people are fools and cannot see our motives. Truth is – we cannot see it clearly ourselves. We become blind by the desire of our flesh, and try to convince ourselves and others that God is blessing our decision.

[bctt tweet=”We want it our way… and think that if we act as attorneys defending our own plans, God will be convinced. It’s a foolish, but oh-so-human thing to do!” username=”PatHolbrook”]

Therefore, if you find yourself feeling the need to justify a certain decision or behavior out loud, you may want to reconsider it. Stop for a moment and sift it through the grid that engulfs each message in this blog series:

Sign #1 – Does your decision give you peace… or are you restless about it?

Sign #2 – Are you so busy that your time spent seeking God is suffering? You cannot hear Him clearly if you don’t spend quality time with Him.

Sign #3 – Does your decision align with, or contradict Scriptures?

Sign #4 – Are godly friends concerned about your decision? Are you dismissing their counsel?

Sign #5 – Are you procrastinating obedience? Has He told you to do something and you just pressed on to the next thing in your own agenda?

And lastly – today’s message:

Do you find yourself justifying your decision to people you love (and sometimes to strangers, even?)

It should never be our place as brothers and sisters in Christ to judge other people’s decisions. I know that God is certainly not a cookie-cutter God, and that He does act in mysterious ways. But we can count on this truth:

[bctt tweet=”God will never tell us to do something that goes against His Word and character. Furthermore, the principles of peace… or restlessness, blessing… or curse, will always indicate if we are on the right path – Deuteronomy 28.” username=”PatHolbrook”]

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

I just love this verse! It is a perfect Word for the end of this blog series. These powerful, blessed Trio should be the strongest indicators that we are living in the center of God’s will. They should reign in our lives, every time we make a decision:

The work of Righteousness, which is Peace.

And the service of righteousness, which are enduring Quietness of spirit… and Confidence that what we are doing pleases our God.

Unshakable Peace, Quietness of Spirit and enduring Confidence.

If you do not have these, stop wherever you are, and do not move forward, until your heart finds them.

And if this Trio is not present, it may just be time to do a one-eighty… and head back to the center of God’s will, before it is too late.

[bctt tweet=”Unshakable Peace, Quietness of Spirit and enduring Confidence. If you do not have these, stop wherever you are, and do not move forward, until your heart finds them.” username=”PatHolbrook”]

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Thank you for reading this blog series! May you always be determined to live in the center of God’s will. That is indeed life at its best, on this side of eternity.

If you would like to read the other messages on this Blog Series, click below to visit each blog post:

Blog Series: Six Signs You Are Heading in the Wrong Direction

Sign # 1 – You have no peace about your decision

Sign # 2 – An Overwhelming Schedule

Sign # 3 – Your Decisions and Actions Contradict Scriptures

Sign # 4 – Dismissing Godly Counsel

Sign # 5 – Delaying Obedience