Why do we presume upon God?

I have found that, whenever we are about to make a decision - ANY decision - there are a few questions we have to ask ourselves before we make the move.

First, does this opportunity, or decision, advance God's Kingdom, or does it build my own empire?

Second, is it Biblical? Is it a win-win for everyone involved and not merely for me?

Third, are the circumstances all lined-up?

Time and again I see Christians rushing into decisions - relocating, spending money, changing jobs, getting married - doing things THEY actually want to do (so they presume to believe it's God). They don't ask for confirmations, they don't seek the wisdom of counselors, they may not even be in agreement with their own spouse. 

Over the past few months, a woman has contacted us three times regarding purchasing our home, even though we don't have the place on the market; it's NOT for sale!  We met her, liked her, and she's walked through twice, once with family members, and she made an offer. A nice one. We love this neighborhood and have made many wonderful memories in this 100-year old structure. 

A few days ago, I asked my wife three questions: 1) Was selling the house Biblical? Was it a win-win for all concerned? 2) Do we have peace about selling the place? 3) Are the circumstances lined-up? The questions prompted some transparent discussion. Even though the circumstances aren't where they need to be at this time, that could change. Though we don't have all the peace we need, that could change, too. We decided to pray about it, pray against Deception and Greed and declare Jesus is the Lord of this situation. Time will tell. 

Far too many "followers" of Jesus don't know how to follow His lead. Perhaps we don't know Him enough to fully trust Him with ALL things, who knows? His sheep will know His voice, after all. Instead, we presume upon God, childishly stepping out in blind faith, when He had nothing to do with that upon which we are about to embark in the first place. Mercifully, lovingly, He uses ALL THINGS to work together for our good, but not without it costing us a great deal of time, energy, finances and heartache before we realize we missed God by a country mile. Graciously, He will allow us to take these tests again.

Trust me, I've presumed upon God far too many times myself. I want to believe I've learned from my mistakes but, again, time will tell.

Perhaps you, too, are about to step off the boat and try and walk on water when the Lord hasn't suggested it. If so, you might want to heed this message.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work