You have heard it said throughout your life as I have…timing is everything. It affects everything we do in life;
Eccl. 3:1 “There is an APPOINTED TIME for everything and a RIGHT TIME for every activity under heaven.”
Acts 13:36 “…David served God’s purpose in his generation, then he died…”
· To me… this statement is the perfect definition of a successful life.
Eccl. 8:5 (New Century Version) “A wise person does the right thing at the right time…”
So, it is not only important to do the right thing, but it must be done at the right time. And that is a mark of true wisdom. But, how do you know what is the right time?? Knowing the right time is not always easy. Why is that? Because of the next verse…
Eccl. 8:6-7 “There is a right time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little! None of us knows what is going to happen, and there is no one to tell us.” You can do the RIGHT thing too soon and it becomes the WRONG thing…So, here are 6 Steps of Faith that you are going to need to take to discern the best time to make a major change………………………………….
1. Enlist the Prayers of Other People
You are never going to know the right time for anything unless you learn to talk to God about it…but on major decisions get people that know how to pray to help you pray about it…Paul talks about this in Romans 15:30 “Brothers and sisters, I beg you to help me in my work by praying to God for me…”
2. Seek the Counsel of Wise Friends
Not just any of your friends but your wise friends…don’t just depend on your own perspective alone…Proverbs 11:14 (Amplified Bible) “Where there is no wise guidance people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” If you want to be safe and not sorry…seek the advice of the wisest people you can find and get all the counsel you can.
3. Be Quiet and Listen to God In his Word
A million voices are demanding our attention. The chatter is unstoppable. Self-proclaimed experts are dusted with makeup, wired with a microphone, and propped up at desks where cameras are aimed at them like canons. Out of fear of cancellation, they try their best to persuade us they’re right, even if they have to scream to do it.
-I had a person say to me one time, “Mike, God never speaks to me…” there are two possible reasons a person feels that way…
1. You’re never quiet
We are always looking at our phones…earbuds in…listening to the media, scrolling through Instagram, etc…Here’s something I learned a long time ago. God doesn’t shout…He does not compete with every other voice in your life. He is not interested in being in line in your life…I’ve got this going on..I’ve got that going on…I have to go here and then go there…check emails and then, THEN, finally next in line is time with God…our relationship with Him is, “God, don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
2 You may not be spending enough time reading God’s Word
Isaiah said, “If only you had paid attention to My commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea” (Isaiah 48:18, NIV).
4. Take a Look At Your Life Up To This Point
While we are not prisoners of our past we are often shaped by it…so, another way to help you with the timing of major changes is look closely at the rhythmic ups and downs that your life has taken up to this point and then compare them to the Bible…
Psalms 119:59 (New Living Translation) “I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your instruction.” His instruction is in the Bible…
5. Take The Time to Make The Right Decision
God is never in hurry…why are we?
A GOOD decision is always better than a
