Paul had a plan where he was going. He announced to everyone, I'm going on a mission, and imagine this; we have a missionary, and we announce they're going to a particular country, and then they get over there, and they say no, God changed His mind, we're going somewhere else. So God does change the plan. They had the plan, God changed the plan. Why? Because God's perspective was bigger, so you've got to be flexible enough having made your plan, to get God change it on the way, and adapt it on the way. This is quite straight forward. Here's the thing; does it agree? Does what you're planning agree, or contradict, the word of God? Now there's many things in the word of God, it tells you exactly what to do, what not to do. Don't lie, don't cheat, don't have sex before marriage, there's so many things it tells you what to do, why would you need to hear God personally about that, when the Bible tells you what to do? Husbands, love your wives. Don't pray about this, and about that, just love your wife.
The Bible is very - in everything give thanks. You don't have to pray about it, or complain, just do what the Bible says to do, so that's why you've got the Bible. It's to help you make wise and good decisions. There's a lot of wisdom in there, and then of course there's some situations there's no answers at all, but God can use it to speak a quickening for you. So do your choices align with the word of God? Here's another one. Do you have peace in your heart about the thing you're choosing to do? Colossians 3:15 says let the peace of God rule in your heart, or be an umpire in your heart, so if you feel agitated, a reserve of some kind - notice when people get married we say, have you come here freely, no one made you, and without reserve? In other words, this is the time to say if you're having some second thoughts.
Most people overlook the reserves, men particularly. Men get so excited about the project, that when their wife raises a little reserve, they just shout it down, and usually later that little reserve turns out to be a major problem, and men find it very hard to say, you were right and I was wrong. That's just one of the things in life I've observed. [Laughs] So the peace of God in your heart, so if there's a lack of peace, or if you're husband and wife and you wife has a lack of peace, then I guarantee something's wrong with it. I tell you now, something's wrong with it because God called you to be one. If the other half is feeling unhappy, don't go ahead, you'll regret it. [Laughter] See, the will of God. See, I haven't even brought God into it very much, have I? I'm just teaching how you discover the flow of the will of God in your life, it's not so hard, but it is challenging at times. Most of us overlook these kinds of things.
We had a group of women who were unhappy with their marriages, had unsaved men, and we asked the question, did your father have any reserve about that marriage, and every one put their hands up and said yes. Well therefore, you should then repent, because there was a lack of peace, and you refused to get wisdom and counsel from someone else, so that brings us to another thing. Have you sought counsel from someone, or opened to get counsel from someone else about your decision? Proverbs 11:14, where there's no counsel people fall, and the multitude of counsel is their safety.
Here's a good one, Proverbs 12:15, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that heeds counsel is wise. So this is what amazes me - Christians who've been around Christians for years, they ask the wrong people. How stupid! I've watched over and over again, people ask the wrong people for advice. If someone has no track of financial success, do not ask for help from them about your finances. Someone's got no spiritual track record of any commitment, steadiness, perseverance and faith, don't ask them what to do. You're just being ridiculous, you're being foolish. I'm amazed how many people make decisions without consulting, and getting spiritual wisdom from someone who has the experience, and cares about their welfare. Many times people will come and they'll, oh well, I've decided to do this, what do you think? What I think is, you've decided to do this. Simple as that. You haven't come asking for any advice, you've actually made your mind up, and what you're trying to do is get my fingerprints on the smoking gun. [Laughter] It's true. That's what goes on, and people make foolish, foolish mistakes, over and over and over again, financial mistakes, relationship mistakes, marriage mistakes, family mistakes, because they don't seek counsel.