You Can Move Forward Without A Full Map

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Resilient Solutions Shortcast, Episode 98, Decisiveness.
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Part 2.
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You don't need the whole map, just take the next faithful step.
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Have you ever wished God would just hand you a roadmap?
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Not one of those maps that shows you where you are and leaves you wondering what happened along the way.
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I'm talking about a detailed map of your future complete with right turns, wrong turns, unexpected detours, and maybe a few warnings about the potholes along the path.
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That'd be nice, wouldn't it?
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Especially when you're faced with some of those life decisions.
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But here's something I've learned over the years.
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Sometimes the hardest part of making a decision isn't choosing what to do.
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It's taking that first step when you don't know exactly where the road's going to lead you.
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And if you've ever made a decision, felt good about it, and then awakened at two in the morning wondering, oh my lord, I haven't made a dumb, stupid mistake, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
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So what do we do when we've prayed, considered our options, and made the best decision we know how to make?
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But uncertainty still follows us.
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That's what we're going to talk about today.
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Welcome to John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast, where we explore practical, biblically grounded ways to stand strong in the storms of life.
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My name's John Thurman, and I'm an author, therapist, and life coach that lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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So glad you joined me today.
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To learn more about me, check out my website, johnthurman.net.
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I'm glad you join me.
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Let's jump right in.
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In our last episode, we talked about the cost of indecision and what happens when we allow fear, overthinking, and the endless search for certainty to keep us stuck.
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Today I want to take that conversation a little further because making a decision is one thing.
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Living with it, especially when we can't see where the road takes us.
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One of the things I've learned through my years of crisis response is that uncertainty can be really exhausting.
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When something unexpected happens, people naturally search for answers.
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They want to know what happened, why it happened, what comes next, and what they're supposed to do about it.
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Those are reasonable questions.
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The problem is that life doesn't always provide answers, particularly in the order we prefer.
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Sometimes we have to make decisions without knowing exactly how things will turn out, and that can be uncomfortable.
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Especially for those of us who appreciate a good plan, like myself.
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I like knowing where I'm going, what I'm supposed to accomplish, and preferably how long it's going to take.
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But I've also learned that life has a way of interrupting even our best plan.
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When that happens, we face a choice.
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We can spend our energy demanding certainty that may never come, or we can begin working with the light that God has already given us.
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David gives us a beautiful picture in Psalm 119-105 where he says, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
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I've always appreciated that image because David doesn't describe a giant searchlight that covers the next 20 miles.
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He describes a little oil lamp.
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In his day, that lamp would have provided you just enough light to take another step or two.
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That's it.
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Nothing certain down the road, just the next step or two.
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Sometimes I wonder how much time we spend asking God for a floodlight when he's already provided a perfectly good lamp.
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Think about Abraham.
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In Genesis twelve, God told him to leave his homeland and to travel to a place that God would reveal to him.
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Now I don't know about you, but I would have a few questions like where exactly are we going?
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How long will it take to get there?
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And perhaps most importantly, what does my wife think about this?
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But Abraham didn't receive any detailed itinerary.
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He received a promise and a direction, and Scripture tells us that he departed as the Lord instructed.
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Of course, Abraham received a special direction from God, and we shouldn't assume that every personal impulse carries that same authority.
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That's why prayer, scripture, and wise counsel are so important.
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There's a point when preparation must give way to action.
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Abraham couldn't discover everything that lay ahead of him by remaining where he was.
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He had to begin the journey.
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And that brings me to something I've learned through years of crisis response.
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One of the difficult realities of crisis response work is that you often meet people on what may be the worst day of their life.
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Sometimes they experience a sudden loss.
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Other times an unexpected tragedy or natural disaster has disrupted everything they thought they knew about the future.
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I want you to imagine sitting across the table from someone in that situation.
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Just hours earlier, life seemed relatively normal.
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Now they're facing decisions they never expected to make, and their mind is racing ahead to questions they can't possibly answer.
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What happens to our family now?
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How am I going to manage?
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What will life look like six months from today?
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If you've ever experienced a significant loss or unexpected crisis, you may recognize that all too familiar feeling.
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Your mind is trying desperately to create some sense of order in a world that's gone crazy wrong and feels really uncertain.
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Over the years, I've learned that one of the most helpful things that we can offer someone in that moment isn't a clever answer or a cute Bible verse or a detailed plan for the future.
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It's a calm presence, a listening ear, and sometimes a very simple pointed question.
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What's the next thing we need to take care of?
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Not everything, mind you, but just the next thing.
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Perhaps there's a family member who needs to be contacted, or a practical responsibility that needs attention.
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Maybe the most important thing is that in that moment is making sure someone has eaten, had some water, or had a trusted friend to stay with them.
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When people are overwhelmed, even ordinary decisions can feel enormous.
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But as they begin to focus on one manageable responsibility at a time, something often changes.
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Their circumstances may be just as difficult as they were a few minutes earlier, but the person begins to recognize that they don't have to solve every problem at once, and that's a huge distinction.
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Helping someone identify the next step doesn't remove their grief, eliminate their pain, uncertainty, and questions, or guarantee that tomorrow will be any easier, but it can help them regain enough footing to face what's immediately ahead.
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I've come to believe there's a powerful spiritual lesson in that experience.
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Sometimes we can become so preoccupied with what might be happening the next day, month, or next year, we lose sight of what God's doing right now directly in the space in front of me.
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Jesus addressed this in Matthew 6 when he reminded his followers not to worry about tomorrow.
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He wasn't suggesting that we abandon planning, ignore our responsibilities.
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He was reminding us that tomorrow has its own concerns and that we can trust our Heavenly Father to things we cannot control.
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I think that's one of the reasons I love that image of God's word as a lamp.
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It means a lot because a lamp doesn't remove every obstacle from the road.
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It helps us see where to place our feet.
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And sometimes that's exactly what we need.
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There is another part of decisiveness that deserves our attention.
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And that's what happens when we make a choice.
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Thoughtful reflection is healthy.
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It helps us learn from experience, recognize mistakes, and make better decisions in the future.
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But endless second guessing is something entirely different.
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I've worked with people who exhaust themselves trying to eliminate every possible risk before taking action.
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They want a perfect answer, a guaranteed outcome, and a decision that won't disappoint anyone anywhere, anytime, or require them to step outside their comfort zone.
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Folks, that is not reality.
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I do understand that desire.
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I had to deal with that myself.
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But you know, I haven't found many worthwhile things in life that come with those guarantees.
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Marriage doesn't, apparently certainly doesn't, ministry doesn't, and following Jesus certainly doesn't.
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That doesn't mean we should become stubborn and buttheaded or refuse to acknowledge your information.
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Sometimes circumstances change, and sometimes we discover that a decision needs to be reconsidered.
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Wisdom includes the humility to recognize when a change of course is necessary.
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But there's a difference between adjusting our direction because we've learned something important and reopening the same mental debate simply because we're afraid.
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At some point, we have to make a decision whether we are going to allow the fear to govern our choices or whether we're going to move forward with the wisdom and faith and grace that God has given us.
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Something else I've come to appreciate over the years is that courage isn't always dramatic.
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We tend to think of courageous people as those who perform under extraordinary circumstances.
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And certainly there are moments when courage looks like that, but much of the courage required in everyday life is far less visible.
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It may involve having a conversation you've been avoiding, acknowledging a mistake, making a necessary change, or accepting a responsibility that stretches you beyond what's comfortable.
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Sometimes courage is simply getting up the next morning and continuing down the road that still feels uncertain.
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One of the things I've noticed in counseling is that people often wait to feel confident before taking action.
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They assume, wrongly, I might add, that if they think about the situation long enough, eventually their uncertainty will disappear and they'll feel completely ready.
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Well, occasionally that can happen, but more often, however, confidence grows as we begin doing things that we're kind of hesitant and scared to do.
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We learn through experience that discomfort isn't necessarily dangerous, that mistakes can become opportunities for growth, and that God remains faithful even when our circumstances don't unfold quite like we thought they would.
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This is one of the ideas I've been exploring in my upcoming book, Resilient Faith, Standing Strong in the Storms of Life.
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Resilience isn't simply about surviving life's storms.
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It's about developing the spiritual and emotional readiness, grit, and focus to respond faithfully when life doesn't go according to my plan.
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That kind of readiness doesn't develop overnight.
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It grows through the choices we make every day, the habits we practice, and the way we learn to trust God in ordinary circumstances before extraordinary circumstances and challenges arrive.
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So let me bring this a little bit closer to home.
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Is there a decision you've been putting off?
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Or perhaps you've already made a decision, but you're still standing at the starting line waiting for some additional assurance before moving forward.
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Maybe you've prayed about it, considered your options, sought wise counsel, and done your best to make a responsible choice.
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Yet something keeps holding you back.
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Perhaps it's the fear of making a mistake, disappointing someone, or discovering the road ahead is more difficult than you anticipated.
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That's where you find yourself.
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I'd encourage you to consider a different question.
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Instead of asking yourself whether you can be absolutely certain about the outcome, ask yourself, what is the next faithful step I can take with the light that God has already given me?
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You don't have to solve every problem or anticipate every obstacle or outcome before you begin.
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You need to take the next responsible step while remaining open to God's guidance along the way.
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Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, my life verse, reminds us to trust the Lord with all our hearts and not depend entirely on our own understanding.
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Now this is not an invitation to stop thinking and planning.
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It's a reminder that our understanding has limits while God's wisdom does not.
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We do best when we can take the information available to us, and when we seek the guidance, remain teachable, and move forward with the confidence that our future is not beyond his care.
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Did you get that?
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We can have confidence that our future, your future, and my future are not beyond his care.
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And sometimes, after all the praying and thinking and planning, the next step is surprisingly ordinary.
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Pick up the phone and make a call.
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Have a conversation, embrace responsibility, begin to do the work.
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Not because you have figured everything out, but because you've decided that fear doesn't get to keep you permanently parked.
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You got that?
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Fear does not have to keep you permanently parked.
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Before we finish, I'd like you to think about one decision or responsibility that's been weighing on your mind.
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It doesn't have to be anything huge or ginormous.
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Maybe it's a conversation you've been avoiding, a change you've been considering, or a commitment that you know you need to make.
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What I want you to do is take a few minutes a day and pray about it.
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Ask God for wisdom, consider what you already know, and identify one practical action that you can take in the next twenty-four hours.
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Remember, the goal isn't to make every decision perfect, it's to become someone who increasingly responds to life with wisdom, grace, courage, and trust in the Lord.
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And sometimes that growth begins with one small, tiny, faithful step.
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Before we close, I'd like to offer you a free resource I've developed called the Tactical Prayer Guide.
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It's designed to help you slow down, quieten the noise, and refocus your thoughts, and take that next faithful step when life feels overwhelming.
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You'll find it in the link of today's show notes.
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When you request your guide, you'll also receive my weekly Resilient Faith newsletter where I share biblical encouragement and insight and practical tools to help you navigate life's challenges.
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And if someone comes to mind who's wrestling with a difficult decision, consider sharing this episode with them.
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Sometimes a little nudge of encouragement is exactly what someone else needs to move forward.
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My name is John Thurman, and thanks for spending a few minutes with me today.
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You can listen to John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast, where I give you tools, thoughts, and ideas to help you live a more resilient life.
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Remember, you don't need to see the whole picture to take the next few faithful steps.
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God's word is still a lamp to your feet.
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His faithfulness does not depend on your ability to predict the future.
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Until next time, stay grounded in your word, keep your eyes on Jesus, and keep moving forward.
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And remember, this is the day that the Lord has made, and I'll make a choice to rejoice and be glad in it.
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See you next time.
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Take care.
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God bless you.