Left Hanging
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. – Romans 12:1-3 NKJV.
A construction worker in St John, Canada was working on a roofing job when some rotten wood gave way. Thankfully, he was wearing a safety harness, but was still left hanging four stories above the ground. He was eventually lowered slowly to the ground by firefighters using a ladder. The Deputy Fire Chief said that the worker had observed “proper safety protocols” which made the worker’s rescue easier. Without observing those safety protocols, and wearing the safety harness, things could have turned out much worse for the worker.
Sometimes it is difficult to know exactly what to do in some situations. You want to do what God wants you to do, but what is it that He wants? It may seem somewhat like the construction worker who was left hanging in the air; you are left hanging and wondering in what direction you are to go. It can be frustrating, especially when the clock is ticking, and time is running out on your having to make a decision.
There are some things that you can do to help speed up the process of understanding God’s will. The place to start is to ask God as we are told in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
It may be that a thorough search of the Scriptures, will give you guidance for your decision, because God will not want you to do anything that is forbidden in His Word. You may want to do it, it may sound like a good deal, but if it is anything illegal, dishonest, or immoral, God does not want you to be a part of it. Knowing God’s Word will help to prevent you from being left hanging without know what to do. The more you know, and are familiar with the Bible, the easier it will be to discern God’s will.
Perhaps the most difficult thing to do when you are left hanging, not knowing what you are to do, is to trust in God’s timing and His way of doing things. God is rarely early in giving you the guidance or what it is that you need for a decision. God is always on time, and you can miss out on God’s best by rushing your decision making process. The timing of God’s answer may in itself be a confirmation that this is indeed from God.
Finally, the apostle Paul makes it clear in Romans 12 that knowing God’s will results from a lifestyle choice. If you want to know God’s will you must be a “living sacrifice(s)” not living like those in the world, but living with a spirit of humility. This is not something that you can turn on and off. It must be how you continually live your life, and then you will be able to “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
(Sometimes it is difficult to know exactly what to do in some situations. You want to do what God wants you to do but what is it that He wants?)