Tag: Discernment

Discerning God’s Call

Do you ever wish you could directly hear God’s calling on your life?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel a little jealous of the early Christians, mainly because of how clearly they heard God’s calling.

Take the disciple Philip, for example. The Holy Spirit whisked him away from one location to the next so that he would reach the exact people he was meant to reach (Acts 8:26-40). He likely didn’t spend days, weeks, months, or years on his knees asking God where he was meant to go. He was just sent!

In many ways, the early church’s relationship with God resembles the Israelites’ relationship with Him in the Old Testament. They heard God’s voice audibly and/or through His appointed prophets. They always knew what He wanted them to do, even if they unfortunately didn’t obey Him.

As I’ve been learning how to discern in my own life (without God’s audible voice telling me what to do), I came across this passage:

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

– Acts 16: 6-10 (NIV)

Notice these phrases:

  • “having been kept by the Holy Spirit”
  • “but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to”
  • “concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them”

I was reminded through this passage that God spoke to the early church in different ways and He continues to speak to us in different ways, too. And even when He spoke directly to them through visions or the Spirit, they still had to exercise patience and discernment.

The Christians thought they were supposed to preach in one location, only for the Spirit to call them elsewhere. They might’ve felt frustrated or confused at first, wondering why God would tell them no. But they obeyed, allowing themselves to finally hear a direct calling from God.

You might’ve noticed that the vision didn’t come overnight. They traveled to multiple places, repeatedly being prevented by the Spirit (I’m curious what that looked like), from spreading the good news there. But once they heard the call, they “got ready at once,” or in some translations, “immediately” left for Macedonia.

The Greek translation for “calling” in verse 10 means “to call to one’s self, to summon, to invite”. When we wait and listen patiently for God’s call, we aren’t just waiting to hear what task He has in store for us. We are being invited into God’s presence. When we say yes to His call, we are being drawn closer to God’s own self.

Just sit with that for a moment. We, God’s mere creation, are given the invitation to be brought to God’s own self.

Even if that invitation is brought to us differently than it was in the past, it’s still the same invitation. An invitation to not only do God’s work, but to be part of God’s family.

Today, we have many ways to hear God’s voice, even if they feel less direct than in the past.

Here are a few examples:

  • Reading the Bible and getting to know God’s character and teachings so that we can discern what God might call us to do versus what would be sinful.
  • Spending time in Christian community and receiving wise counsel from people God chooses to speak through.
  • Praying to God directly and spending time in God’s presence, getting to know Him better so that we can become more like Him.
  • And most of all, as believers we still have the Holy Spirit living inside us.

The Spirit moves in many ways, whether through the above avenues, or through visions, prophetic words, or miracles. While we shouldn’t necessarily expect these less common things to happen, we should never place limits on what the Spirit can do. Even having the Spirit inside of us is supernatural in and of itself.

We often talk about how the Holy Spirit is living inside of us, but the Spirit is not limited to our bodies’ capabilities. When we realize we are just one little sliver of a reflection of God, as we are created in His image, we can tap into the supernatural fruits the Spirit offers: love, joy, peace and patience, to name a few.

I encourage you to spend time with God today and ask Him how He might be leading you. Have peace in the process, knowing that all good things take time. And being in God’s presence is the best thing of all.

College: Expectation Versus Reality

Are you struggling to decide where to go for college or what to do in your next stage of life?

This post is a little different from the norm, but that’s okay! I have experienced so much stress (and growth) through my time in college so far, and I know that younger-Hannah would’ve appreciated some down-to-earth advice about what college is really like when making the big decision.

Here I’ll go through a few college expectations I (or others) have had and how they compare to the truth.

Expectation

I need to have a lot of transfer credits in order to save time in college.

Reality

Transfer credits are only helpful when you have a clear idea of what you want to pursue in college. They can definitely save a lot of time, but the truth is it will likely still take 2-3 years to get an undergraduate degree.

However, getting general education credits before starting at a university is very helpful and just getting a feel of what college level classes are like may ease your level of stress while making that transition.

The best thing to do is check with the universities you are interested in and make sure they will take the credits you are transferring! Don’t stress either way. No matter what, this will be a learning experience for you.

Expectation

I have to make all my forever friends during my first year of college and I have to let go of my high school friends in the process.

Reality

Honestly, it’s true that you will likely drift apart from many of your high school friends if you aren’t going to colleges near each other. However, that doesn’t have to be the case for all your friendships. If you really care about the relationship, then you will be able to make it work. It will just feel different, but different isn’t always a bad thing!

And don’t put pressure on yourself during your freshman year of college, especially when it comes to making friends. You may meet life-long friends during your first year, but a lot of people are in an adjustment period and want to get to know as many people as possible without making lasting comittments.

Though it hurts when people move from one person to the next, that’s unfortunately part of starting fresh in a new place. But that’s okay–you have plenty of time to make wonderful friends during and after college, and over time people will start to value lasting friendships.

Expectation

College has to be the best time of my life.

Reality

Wouldn’t it be sad if you limited yourself to thinking that it’s all downhill after age 21? You have so much of your life ahead of you. Don’t think that college is the “be all or end all” of life.

Honestly, my first few quarters of college were pretty rough. The college experience is different for everyone. But one thing I can promise you is this: No matter where you go, you will learn, find your people, and grow into who you are meant to be.

Expectation

I have to find the perfect college in order to be happy.

Reality

There is no perfect college. Instead of stressing yourself out over where you should go, ask yourself these six questions:

  • Can I see myself living here for a year or more?
  • Have I talked to someone similar to me who went here and enjoyed it?
  • Do they have programs that I’m interested in?
  • Does the school’s values and priorities align with mine?
  • Is the surrounding area a place I’d like to explore or become familiar with?
  • Do the other students seem like people I can learn from and feel comfortable with?

It can be hard to answer all of these at once, especially if you’re unable to visit the campuses you’re looking into. But community, campus environment, and the programs themselves matter so much, way more than I anticipated when choosing a college.

If after doing as much research as you can, you still feel lost, remember that you can’t do anything to mess up God’s plan for you. He will use you wherever you go to do great things.

To sum it all up…

Ultimately, no matter where you go or what you do, you will always be:

–Loved

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:12

–Made for a Purpose

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

–Treasured

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Deuteronomy 7:6

–Chosen

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9

–Beautiful

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

And so much more. ❤ Best wishes on this next exciting chapter!

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.

Colossians 1:9-11