It is sometimes quite intimidating to find yourself at a crossroads. The choice is difficult to make, and has permanent consequences, so you can’t take it lightly. In fact, you’ve been mulling over these ideas for quite some time, but something has always stopped you from making a move forward. Perhaps it is fear- fear of the unkown, fear of shame, fear of failure, or any combination of the three. Maybe you are stuck because of you are confused, and can’t figure out how you got here, why you are here, and there seems to be reasons to go in either direction. No matter the situation, the truth of the matter is that you have to make a choice. Your indecision will not be counted for anything. You cannot return to your past, and you cannot undo the other decisions you’ve made. You must choose a direction and move forward in it, no matter what paralyzes you.

This is why prayer is so necessary. Where you are paralyzed, you need to seek wisdom, and then actually DO something. Prayer helps to calm all the voices that send you conflicting messages, and the signs that seem to point in opposite directions. Sometimes you need a truly objective perspective, one that isn’t emotionally invested in the situation, in order to see things clearly. God sees the end from the begining, and can show you exactly what you need to do. Even when it seems He is silent. And trust me, as frustrating as it can be to wait on God, it is much worse to move forward and discover that you made a fatal mistake, and need critical resolution. If you are not one who prays to God, (and even if you are) perhaps a therapist/counselor can help.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.”

Pracitcal, reasonable, and universally applicable advice. The truth is that if many people would simply stop depending on their own strength, their own intelligence, and their own perspectives, they’d stop ending up in some really messed up situations. Solomon, the wisest king in the world, surrounded himself with plenty of  wise and knowledgable people who could give him sane and valid advice. Every (sucsessful) ruling party in the world has some form of advisory board to help them lead nations, and not because they’re not qualified or intelligent, but because success is best attained when one admits to not knowing everything and admits to their shortcomings. Pride will only stunt your personal growth, and will ruin your chances at success. But please remember one thing- you’re only as good as the advice you take. If your advisors are messy, inconsistent, lack integrity, or are having the same issues as you are, you are better off neglecting their advice. Make sure you are seeking advice from people older, wiser, and who’ve survived your situation. Make sure that you’re not just sticking to your peers, your friends, or your family. They may not have the objectivity to make a clear assesment. And above all, be truthful. People give advice based on the information they are given. If you are really seeking accurate counsel, you need to be open and truthful. Nothing is worse then getting inaccurate advice based on inaccurate information. 

So to anyone (else) facing huge decisions, scary decisions, know that there is an abundance of help available to you. Pray about it. Seek wise counsel. And then move forward, even if all your questions haven’t been answered. You may never know why you’re in a particular situation, and you might have to wait until you’re long past the situation to truly see how you arrived at such a difficult place, but action is a risk that you absolutely must take in order to survive. You might think you’re risking everything in moving forward, but the greater risk is trying to stand still and letting the situation control your destiny, rather than the other way around. Your fear will kill you. So don’t let it.

Pray. Seek. Move.