How to Discern the Next Faithful Step During Uncertain Times
A new year might be here, but the way forward is anything but clear. Last year saw everything about how we “do church” turned upside down. For many, this is a season of discernment. Hope for the future is possible, but in order to discern the way forward, a faithful approach is needed.
There are several different ways to decide how to move forward, and each of them works together for us to discern how to love God well and love neighbors well. There is one that stands out to me as foundational not only for us but our communities – personal worship.
It’s Time to Worship
This past year was difficult for most of us and included numerous obstacles that disrupted our churches as we know them. You might be feeling like you have no idea what the way forward looks like or insecure about how things are right now. But what if I told you that could change?
If you want to find clarity for what the next step is, then I encourage you to view this as an opportunity to reframe the current circumstances and consider how you can faithfully discern the way forward for you, and your congregation.
Pastors and ministry leaders who are confident about their next step, even in volatile, ambiguous, changing and uncertain times prioritize their personal worship time with God. For many last year, personal time with God gave way to being informed about the latest events in our cities and nation, planning funerals, accompanying bereaving families from a distance, and constant pivoting to respond to immediate changes.
Once we prioritize personally spending time with God, we will be empowered to faithfully and confidently take the next step forward.
This type of lifestyle is empowering as well as infectious. Pastors who make time for personal worship inspire those around them to do the same. And what happens then, you have a community of people coming together discerning together what God is up to, and inviting you into.
So how do you prioritize your personal worship time when the demands on you keep increasing?
Four Practical Tips For Prioritizing Time with God
Here are four practical tips you can use to begin spending time with God, worshipping God, today.
Make time. We will never find time to do anything. We must make time to do it. Looking at your calendar, decide what is essential for you personally to do each day, decide what you can delegate to others, and then decide what can be delayed because it is not essential right now. Set aside 60 minutes each day for the next 7 days for you to BE with God. And schedule your days around this time.
Get alone. Get alone so that you can be with God. Get your Bible and read it. And be reminded of what God’s voice sounds like and what God says. You can bank on God’s promises.
Pray. Talk to God about what is going on in your life, your congregation, your community, and listen for God’s response. Write down what you hear.
Listen. As you are discerning what’s next, listen for simply the next step. Not what’s in 3 months, but the one next step. This will likely come as you make it a priority to listen to God, listen to your congregation, and listen to your community. We can be confident we’re listening well when the next step reflects loving God and loving our neighbors well; we can’t do one without the other.
So, right now, I encourage you to make daily time for you to spend with, and worship, God. This will set you up to discern the next faithful step and be confident you are in step with God’s leading and guiding for you and your community.
