Have you seen Instagram posts advising…
“If it’s confusing, it’s not from God.”
“God’s plan comes with peace & ease”
“If it brings anxiety, it’s not God’s will for you”
“God will never give you more than you can handle”
If you’ve believed these statements, it’s okay, me too.
I’ve believed that I needed clarity and no confusion before taking action. I’ve believed that I couldn’t make a big life decision until having peace about it. I’ve believed that difficulty meant it wasn’t God’s will for me. I’ve believed that anxiety meant I was outside of God’s will. I’ve believed that God would never ask me to do something too difficult for me. But after reading similar stories in the Bible, I discovered that THIS ADVICE ISN’T TRUE!
Below is the advice David, James, Joshua, and Noah would give instead.
- David’s advice on: “If it’s confusing, it’s not from God”
If the statement, “If it’s confusing, it’s not from God,” is true, then anytime I feel confused, uncertain, or scared, it means that I must stop, leave, do not continue, and turn back! This is bad advice!
If you told David, “I feel confused and scared”, he would say, “It’s okay, me too”.
David can relate to us because he experienced many emotions, and his life often had difficulties that didn’t make any sense. David was anointed to be King at a young age, but now found himself afraid for his life and hiding in caves. David wrote in Psalm 10:1, “O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” He was confused! David even continued to ask God “Why” in Psalms 13, 22, 35, and 43.
Despite feeling afraid and confused, in Psalm 56:3-4, David wrote, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?”
David’s Instagram post would never be “If it’s confusing, it’s not from God”. It would be:
“When I’m afraid, I trust God”
“When I’m confused about God’s plan, I praise God for his promises”
“I’m confused, but I trust God”
- James’s advice on: “God’s plan comes with peace & ease”
If the statement, “God’s plan comes with peace & ease,” were true, then anytime I experience stress, anxiety, difficulty, or setbacks in life, it implies an absence of God’s will, and I have to abandon ship. This is bad advice!
If you told James, “This journey is difficult; at times I’m beyond stressed and constantly have setbacks” he would say, “It’s okay, me too”
James can relate to us because he faced many social difficulties. James was Jesus’s earthly brother. He denied Jesus as Lord in the early years and was known for his influence in the Jewish church. But after Jesus’s resurrection, James believed Jesus was Lord and Savior and began boldly preaching a new message: the Gospel, and started teaching against Jewish legalism. His journey of preaching the Gospel to the Jewish church was not easy! It later even led to his martyrdom.
Despite facing social opposition and troubles, James wrote in James 1:2-3, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
James’s Instagram post would never be “God’s plan comes with peace and ease”. It would be:
“When life is difficult, I thank God”
“When I’m afraid, I put on joy”
“When life doesn’t make sense, I trust God”
“When my journey is difficult, my faith is getting stronger”
- Joshua’s advice on: “If it brings anxiety, it’s not God’s will for you”
If the statement, “If it brings anxiety, it’s not Gods will for you,” is true, then feelings of chaos, anxiety, fear, distress, or confusion would all require me to completely reevaluate my life and seek a path of ease to align with God’s will for me. This is bad advice!
If you told Joshua, “I am so anxious and afraid”, he would say, “It’s okay, me too”
Joshua can relate to us because he experienced tremendous fear and doubt as a leader. Joshua was born a slave in Egypt and was a young man when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. Later, Moses appointed Joshua as his successor and mentored him. Moses was an impactful leader and successfully “performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 34:12), which Joshua had a front-row seat to watch. But before crossing the Jordan River, Moses was dead now, and it was Joshua’s turn to lead God’s people to the promised land. Joshua was appointed to accomplish something far greater than himself. He was terrified.
But God speaks directly to Joshua’s feelings of fear by telling Joshua four times in Joshua 1:1-19 to “be strong and courageous”. In verse 5-6, God says, “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you and I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess the land […]” Joshua accomplished many things in leadership by being strong and courageous.
Joshua’s Instagram post would never be “If it brings anxiety, it’s not God’s will for you”. It would be:
“God’s plan pushes me out of my comfort zone”
“God’s plan is terrifying, but I am strong and courageous”
“When I’m facing my fears, I am strong”
“When I don’t know if I can do it, I put on courage”
- Noah’s advice on: “God will never give you more than you can handle”
If the statement, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” is true, then anything that pushes me beyond my comfort zone wouldn’t be from God. It would make me question if I heard God correctly, since God would never ask too much of me. This is bad advice!
If you told Noah, “God’s telling me to do something that makes me uncomfortable”, he would say, “it’s okay, me too”
Noah can relate to us because God asked him to do something beyond what he could comprehend. Noah was a great servant to the Lord, and God saved his family from the flood before the earth was destroyed. As God told Noah these things were going to happen, Noah had no previous comprehension of an Ark so large. Nor of a massive flood coming to destroy the earth.
Noah had to closely follow God’s direction despite uncertainty (Genesis 6). It’s recorded that “Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22, 7:5). After being in the Ark for over a year, Noah opened that Ark door to a new, unknown world. In that moment, I can only imagine the fear Noah felt. God told Noah, “Go out” (Genesis 8:16) – and he did.
Noah’s Instagram post would never be “God will never give you more than you can handle”. It would be:
“When God tells me to do something, I boldly obey”
“God gave me more than I can handle. But God accomplished it.”
“God has plans to use me in ways beyond what I can comprehend”
In closing, I encourage you to take advice from examples God gives us in Scripture. These stories are vulnerable and relatable as we watch heroes of faith push past their feelings and trust God into the unknown. So, what’s your new Instagram advice?
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