I Wish I Had Known
I Wish I had Known...
There is a saying that “hindsight is 20/20”. As we gaze backward and think through the decisions we have made and the paths we have walked in our life – we can clearly see where those have led us. Some have led us to a sweet place that we embrace; some have taken us to heartbreak and some even to a place of destruction.Even if we reflect and think, “I haven’t made any detrimental mistakes and my life is really pretty good.” most would agree we could have made a few better choices.Now, please do not misunderstand me.We should never dwell on the past and wallow in guilt and regret.But, just like we glance in the rearview mirror of our car – we can glance backwards to gleam that hindsight and learn from the clear vision it provides.As I take time to do this, I realize there are some things I wish I had known.
One of the things I wish I had known is that every decision, every choice put me on a path.Our decisions determine our direction in life.That direction is what decides our destination.You know – sometimes it is not that we choose to make a bad decision – but that we simply do not choose to make the BEST decision.Think though that for a minute.We have great intentions and we fail to take the time to connect the dots between our decisions and the outcomes we will ultimately experience.You can read more about that in Andy Stanley’s, “The Principle of the Path”.But the truth is every choice – every decision determines where you are headed.Andy says, “Direction – not intention determines your destination.”
- I wish I had known that the only way I could experience God’s best is if I walked in total obedience to Him. (I am tempted to add !!!!!!!! to that statement. Oh how I wish I had gotten that.) Jeremiah 7:23 says, “Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.” Walking in obedience yields a blessed life.
- I wish I had known that I should wait on Him and trust Him to guide me instead of impatiently making my own decisions. If I am to be totally transparent with you – then I have to admit that I have made some big decisions based on what I wanted. Oh I justified them because they felt right and made sense that they would go along with God’s will. But…in all honesty I wish I had known to WAIT until He affirmed and confirmed that each decision was His will. I have now claimed this as my life verse…Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting is not easy – but oh, it is so worth it.
- I wish I had known that God’s way is not like my ways. While I am a BIG PICTURE kind of girl, God directs us one step at a time. You see – I wanted a spotlight – showing me what lies ahead. But God just lights the path – revealing the next step. Remember the scripture Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Visualize that. God’s word is the light and it illuminates our path one step at a time. To follow Him means spending time – lots of time in His word and then walking in trust and in faith. Oh I wish I had known that walking in faith would lead me on the greatest journey I could ever imagine.
What path are you walking today? Is it the path God desires for you to be walking? If you continue on this path – where will it lead?Take time to reflect on your life.Where are you headed spiritually, relationally, financially, professionally and in every area of your life?Are you on the path God has chosen for you?If not…let’s get on it.God’s way is BEST!Trust Him!Walk with Him!When we choose to walk the path God has chosen for us our final destination will be exactly where we want to be! We will have peace.We will have joy.We will be blessed!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
(To be continued….more of what I wish I had known to come.)
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