I always say in messages that you should listen to God and do what He says, regardless of if it fits with what you think is in your path, He should be the one who directs your steps.
Someone asked me yesterday "How do I know if what I'm hearing is God speaking to me or if it's just my own idea that I want to do?" While I can't speak directly to everything that God says to you or anyone, I can give you some guidelines to test whether God is directing you are not.
1) You need to have a relationship with Christ. This is crucial. It means that you've accepted that you've been at odds with God and that can be as simple as not doing exactly what He wants from you (we've all been there) at some time in your life. Realizing that Romans 6:23 says that the wages or price of that sin is death or separation from God. God sent Jesus, His son, to live on Earth as a human and Jesus lived as no one has ever done before or since...He never did anything that God did not want from Him, He never sinned. Then he was killed for our sin, so that justice in Romans 6:23 could be satisfied, but we could have a way not to be eternally separated from Him. The way we accept this is to confess with our mouth that Jesus is our Lord (in other ways, we do what He says to do and live our lives for His purposes not our own) and believe in our heart (total belief) that He was God's Son. That's the first thing.
2) Begin to read God's Word daily and spend time praying (talking) with Him...and listening. Jesus said in John 10:23 that the people who follow Him know His voice. So, as we follow HIm, His voice is more evident...it's cumulative. Also, He will never tell you to do something against His Word. He'll never say "Hey, your wife is mean..leave her, you've put up with enough." Or "Your husband is an inconsiderate loser...leave him, that'll show him." That's contrary with the Bible's clear teaching on marriage, so better check that.. As you spend time with God following Him, you'll get to know him more and more. Also, during each day, I look for other ways for God to communicate or shape the direction that He wants me to go and it's amazing how things begin to line up.
3) Plug into a Bible teaching church that you can trust. You should be able to trust that the leadership seek God personally...that people in the church do the same. It should be a place where you connect with people and that's on you to try as well, not just on them to do all the work of relationship. Then you develop relationships with people who you know are following God and have your best interests at heart. Proverbs tells us that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"...we are meant to learn in groups, sharing what we learn and building on it. Many times, I've sought others' viewpoints on what God is telling me and they've affirmed it or what's going on with them/what God is teaching them has helped shape the direction. It's giving God more avenues to speak to you.
If it's a life-altering decision, like a career change or a location change or something big, like say God was telling me to quit my job and start a ministry to help the homeless, I might meet with someone from "His Place Ministries" or from "Our Daily Bread" (ministries in Melbourne/Palm Bay area) and see how God inspired them to start these ministries and look for affirmation or shaping in those discussions.
Relationship with Christ -- testing what is said against God's Word and listening to Him -- looking for signs and messages around you -- plugging into a community of believers who give God more opportunities to speak to you...all these things are great for you. If you are married, your spouse will be a big player in this, because nothing you do is separate from them...so they have to be in with you to a degree. It might be in the "okay, we'll try that" or in the "alright!!! I'm in!!!" mode. God has directed the timing of moves in my life by the way He's spoken to my wife or the time that He's taken to speak to her and vice versa, her with me.
Hope that helps you to know if God is speaking to you on a certain issue.
Relationship with Christ -- testing what is said against God's Word and listening to Him -- looking for signs and messages around you -- plugging into a community of believers who give God more opportunities to speak to you...all these things are great for you. If you are married, your spouse will be a big player in this, because nothing you do is separate from them...so they have to be in with you to a degree. It might be in the "okay, we'll try that" or in the "alright!!! I'm in!!!" mode. God has directed the timing of moves in my life by the way He's spoken to my wife or the time that He's taken to speak to her and vice versa, her with me.
Hope that helps you to know if God is speaking to you on a certain issue.
I hope this helps...
