Author John Ortberg continues Chapter 9 of The Life You’ve Always Wanted by discussing 4 misconceptions about spiritual guidance:
1. Guidance bears no resemblance to “insider information”. Pastor Ortberg states that many people give little thought to spiritual guidance until they face a major life decision such as whom to marry or what job to accept. However, what people really are looking for as they face those decisions is “insider information”- like which door on Let’s Make a Deal will provide the greatest return on their investment. The true test of really seeking God’s guidance: “How often do I seek God’s guidance when I’m not facing trouble or a difficult decision?”
2. Hearing God speak doesn’t’ mean we’ve been endowed with exceptional spiritual maturity or importance. God can communicate with anyone He chooses. To prove his point, the author cites the Old Testament account of Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22: 22-40).
3. Seeking spiritual guidance is not a passive activity. Pastor Ortberg observes that, in a broad sense, “God did not create people in his own image for passivity. He is not a passive God.”
4. Guidance does not involve avoidance of risk. The author states that God wants us to develop good judgment, a process that inherently involves choices and risks.
John concludes: “God’s purpose in guidance is not to get us to perform the right actions. His purpose is to help us become the right kind of people.”
