Rita had every reason to feel confident. She owned a thriving tech business, her clients trusted her, and God had clearly blessed the work of her hands. Still, something was stirring in her. For months, she had sensed a gentle pull from the Holy Spirit assuring her that there was more for her to do.
The trouble was that she couldn’t figure out what that “more” was, and the uncertainty was slowly stealing her peace.
When Rita came to me for coaching, one of the first things she said was, “Joyce, if I just knew for sure what God wanted me to do, I would finally have some peace.”
Maybe you’ve said those same words. If you want to know for certain what your God-given calling is, you may believe peace will come once the answers do. What Rita discovered, and what I pray you’ll discover today, is that you can have peace of mind while you are still waiting for clarity.
When Your Heart Says Yes and Your Spirit Says Wait
All her life, Rita had been told to follow her heart. Now her heart was telling her to purchase a building and move her business out of her home and into an office. On paper, it made perfect sense. But every time Rita pictured herself signing the papers, she felt unsettled in her spirit. She looked at me and asked, “If my heart wants this so much, why do I feel so uneasy?”
That question opened a conversation many of us need to have. When a big decision is in front of you, do you trust God or follow your heart?
Trust God or Follow Your Heart? What Scripture Says
God’s Word paints a more sober picture. Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
When Rita and I read that verse together, she sat back in her chair and said, “So all this time I’ve been following something God calls deceitful?”
Your heart can be completely sincere and still lead you in the wrong direction. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) reminds us, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
Sarah’s story in Genesis 16 shows what happens when a good desire runs ahead of God’s timing. Her longing for a son was real, and acting on it apart from God’s direction brought heartache into her home for generations.
Following your heart apart from God so often leads to heartbreak and can take you outside of His will. Your desires still matter to Him, though. When you delight in the Lord first, as Psalm 37:4 teaches, He shapes your desires until they line up with His.
Peace Doesn’t Have to Wait for Answers
Rita had been treating peace like a reward she had to earn by figuring everything out. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to present our requests to God, and then it promises that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV). God’s peace guards our hearts while our requests are still pending. Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) promises, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” That peace flows from keeping your thoughts fixed on the Lord, and knowing the whole plan was never part of the requirement.
The 5 P’s of Discernment
Discernment is the Spirit-led ability to recognize God’s voice among all the other voices competing for your attention. As Rita and I worked together, we walked through five practices I call the Five P’s of Discernment.
Prayer. James 1:5 (NIV) promises that God gives wisdom generously to everyone who asks. Rita brought the building decision to God specifically and by name, then spent time listening and journaling what He brought to mind.
The Page. God will never lead you in a direction that contradicts His Word. Rita spent time with Luke 14:28, where Jesus talks about counting the cost before building a tower. She weighed the cost in money, time, and focus.
Peace. Colossians 3:15 (NIV) says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” The word translated “rule” describes an umpire making the call. Rita learned to treat her lack of peace as valuable information from the Holy Spirit instead of something to push past.
People. Proverbs 15:22 (NIV) says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Rita invited a few spiritually mature believers into her decision.
Pace. In Numbers 9, the Israelites moved when the cloud over the tabernacle lifted, and they stayed put when it remained. Knowing when to move matters as much as knowing where to go. Psalm 27:14 (NLT) encourages us, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous.”
What Rita Discovered
Rita decided to press pause on the building. God may release her to make that move one day, but for now the peace of mind simply wasn’t there.
Rita still doesn’t have every answer, but she has peace. Her mornings now begin with a few quiet minutes in God’s Word and a simple prayer. “Lord, what do You want me to do today?” She’s learning that obeying God one day at a time is its own kind of clarity.
Your Next Step
If you’re waiting on clarity about your calling, take these questions into your prayer time this week.
- What decision is pressing on your heart right now?
- When you bring it to God, do you sense His peace, or do you feel unsettled?
- Who are the spiritually mature people you can invite into this decision?
- What would it look like to rest in God’s peace today, even if the answers don’t come this week?
You don’t have to know everything to have peace of mind. You only need to know the One who does.
