Panic. Confusion. Fear. Decisions often bring out the worst in us. They make our minds reel with options and uncertainty. At the same time, decisions can provide unique opportunities for new life and adventure. They can create avenues for growth, impact and change. How do we navigate such waters?

When faced with an important decision, one of the most valuable questions we can ask is, “where is God leading me?” As we ask this question, we begin to see that our decisions aren’t just about us. They contribute to what God is doing in the world, and they are intrinsically connected to other people.

The following themes in Scripture provide a framework to help discern God’s direction for your life—and acknowledge the valuable impact your decisions make in your communities.

Taking A Risk

In Scripture, God’s direction often meant physically leaving a location. We see this with the call of Abram. After leading Abram outside, God pointed up to the vast night sky and told him, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s home, and go to a land I am going to show you” (Genesis 12:1, GNTD). While this call presented Abram with a great risk, it also came with a promise: his descendants would be more numerous than the stars above him.

For Abram, following God’s call meant entering into the great unknown. It meant uprooting his family, traveling through the desert and journeying to an unfamiliar place. It even meant receiving a new name, which signified a new identity: Abraham. I can only imagine Abraham’s combination of fear and excitement when he heard God’s voice, but he faithfully responded and embarked on a journey that impacted generations to come. His decision to follow God ultimately led to the lineage that gave birth to Jesus, bringing redemption to the nation of Israel and extending to every person in the world.

Reflect: Has God ever invited you to take a risk? This may involve moving for a job, stepping into a leadership role or traveling for a service project. Reflect on your feelings in this process. How did your decision to follow God’s invitation impact other people?

Wait, I Don’t Want To Do That!

Not everyone in the Bible was willing to respond to God’s disruptive call. One of my favorite examples is Jonah; God told him to: “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and speak out against it” (Jonah 1:2, GNTD). But instead of packing up his things and going to Nineveh, Jonah went in the opposite direction to get away from God!

Jonah’s response reminds us that we don’t always like, or agree with, where God is leading us. He fled to a boat, was tossed off during a tumultuous storm and ended up being swallowed by a big fish. But in the end, Jonah delivered the message that caused the people of Nineveh to give up their wicked behavior and be spared from God’s judgment. God chose Jonah to play a pivotal role in the people’s repentance and forgiveness. What would have happened to these people if Jonah had stayed hiding in the fish’s belly?

Reflect: Have you ever felt compelled to do something but been resistant? Reflect on the situation and the fears or other reactions it provoked. Think about the people involved. How could following through have made a difference in their lives?

The Bigger Question

Our lives contribute to something bigger than ourselves. Responding to God’s direction may involve boldly setting out into the unknown like Abraham, or overcoming fears or prejudices like Jonah. But all of our decisions impact other people. Whatever the cost, discerning God’s direction involves asking how our decision will contribute to our wider community.

Throughout Scripture—from the very act of creation when God creates Eve from Adam’s rib—we are reminded of our interdependence with one another. Adam exclaims, “She is part of my body, my own flesh and bones” (Genesis 2:23, GNTD). They are created from the same substance, making them intimately connected.

In the New Testament, we see that we are also intimately connected to Christ’s body and held together in him. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he takes bread and offers it to his disciples, saying: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19b, GNTD). And in John, Jesus says: “I am the bread of life…Those who come to me will never be hungry” (John 6:35, GNTD). We are given a beautiful image of Christ’s body sustaining us, giving life and uniting us to God and one another.

Later, Paul says we are all part of this body: “Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts” (1 Corinthians 12:12, GNTD). We each play a unique and valuable role that contributes to the whole.

Reflect: Think about a decision you are making. How could this decision be part of something bigger than yourself? How could it be contributing to the whole body of Christ?

As we wade—or wallow—through the waters of discernment, we are reminded that our decisions are an invitation to participate in God’s redemptive plan. Instead of staying in panic and confusion, we can trust God to be faithful, helping us take risks and courageously overcome our fears. We can begin to see our lives in relation to the whole body of Christ, and recognize God leading us to make a uniquely valuable contribution that unites us and brings life.