During a recent meeting of our youth ministry, The Attic, we conducted a little experiment that I found both interesting and illuminating. The experiment was inspired by two seemingly simple questions provided in a Grow Students teaching guide.
“What is something so easy to do that it doesn’t require instructions?”
“If you were to provide step by step instructions for that activity, what would they be?”
Once we determined an answer to the first question, we began the process of developing an answer to the second. Very quickly, we realized that the second question wasn’t as simple as one might think. We worked our way through several different activities, but one clearly demonstrated the difficulty of discerning the best and necessary next steps in life. The activity that was “so easy to do that it doesn’t require instructions” was drinking a can of Coke.
If thinking through how to open a can of Coke can create frustration, anxiety, and confusion, it’s no wonder we have such a hard time discerning the next best steps when considering major life experiences and decisions.
One brave young lady volunteered as tribute. She walked to the front of the room to demonstrate and enumerate four easy steps to drink a can of Coke…
Step One: Pick up the can of Coke.
Step Two: Take hold of the tab on the top of the can.
Step Three: Lift the tab upwards to open the can.
Step Four: Drink the contents of the can.
I asked the young scholar if, perhaps, we had missed any steps in the process. She assured me that we had not. I then presented the same quarry to the rest of the group. They too indicated that nothing had been missed. I invite you, the reader, to consider the steps provided. Think about the various steps of drinking a standard can of Coke. Can you think of any missing steps in the process? I can think of a few.
I explained to the students that before one can pick up a can of Coke, one must first take hold of said can. The person could then execute steps one through three, but then more steps must be added. The person must lift the can to their mouth, they must open their mouth, and they must pour the Coke into their mouth before they can consume it. I must confess that even I failed to remember the all-important step of opening one’s mouth in the drinking process. One of the students was all-too-excited to announce and correct my error.
Opening a can of Coke appears to be a very simple process. It’s something most of us could do blindfolded and half-conscious. But, when you stop to think about it, there are several steps to the process. For someone who hasn’t ever seen a can of soda or had the privilege of consuming one, the process might be a little confusing and perhaps a little bit intimidating. It was interesting how much those of us who have great amounts of experience with said practice struggled when considering the next necessary step. If thinking through how to open a can of Coke can create frustration, anxiety, and confusion, it’s no wonder we have such a hard time discerning the next best steps when considering major life experiences and decisions.
The first step in any decision making process for the people of God is to consult the Word of God for guidance and direction.
The book of Psalms is full of poems and songs that explain the difficulty of determining the right decisions of our lives. The most famous Psalmist, King David, wrote many Psalms lamenting his confusion, his anxieties, his uncertainties, and not a few failures and falls that resulted from choosing the wrong steps. In Psalm 119:9, he provides a wise first step to help us discern the best next step. David writes, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your Word.” While the author is specifically advising the “young person,” I feel it is safe to assume it’s good advice for those who are “young at heart” as well. In fact, a little later in the same Psalm, David notes the foundational importance of God’s Word for ordering his own steps. In Psalms 119:105 David writes, “Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” The first step in any decision making process for the people of God is to consult the Word of God for guidance and direction.
Life can be difficult. As illustrated above, even the most simple of tasks can seem complicated at times. It would be amazing if we had a manual that gave us clear, concise, step-by-step instructions for how to deal with any given issues. But, such a manual doesn’t exist. What we do have, however, is the transcendent, timeless, and inspired Word of God. While it doesn’t always provide us with the exact next step to take in our lives, it does provide us with truths, principles, and examples to calm our hearts, to illuminate our minds, and to enable us to boldly take the next step in faith that God will guide us and strengthen us as we make our way into the future. Whatever situation you may be facing, the best next step is to consult the Word of God in order that He might reveal to you the path you should take to experience the good purpose and plans He has for you.
