Part 3: Following God's Peace
the decision that took a year
“The Decision That Took a Year” is a three part series. Here is Part 1 and Part 2.
The life I had built in Portland was good.
I was surrounded by an amazing community of people and unwavering encouragement in following Jesus. The close proximity to both mountains and the ocean was something I never could have dreamed up. I felt God opening doors with earning my masters and building a career. I was committed to a church that I deeply loved. Happy hour with friends and long walks throughout my neighborhood were consistent parts of my week.
Life in Portland was good.
So, why would God ask me to leave something that was good?
I recently heard one of my favorite teachers (and former pastor), John Mark Comer, define discernment as “How do I know and do the will of God?1”
This journey of moving back to Minnesota was not solely centered on making a decision, it’s also been a journey of discernment. For the last 18 months I wasn’t just focused on picking the best option, but I was also seeking God’s wisdom in the process.
Discernment invites us to notice God’s peace and ask how we are to respond.
Throughout my process I battled the very normal desire to chase down the “right decision.” At times, I felt desperate to not choose wrong and thought that if I just followed a specific plan for the right direction it would be fool proof.
The opponent in the battle against chasing the “right answer” was following God’s peace. This was the team I was fighting for; the team that led me to a confident decision.
In the book of Philippians, Paul describes God’s peace as surpassing all understanding and having the ability to guard our hearts and minds. This peace is something that we become familiar with over the course of our life. In the small moments of doubt or insecurity, we learn to notice what His peace feels like. In the past year and a half, I’ve continued to recall moments in my life where I felt His peace in a decision and how I came to a conclusion. All of those moments built up the confidence for this big one, a decision that shifted the trajectory I was on.
We learn how to notice and respond to God’s peace over time.
A few months back, a friend over in Portland texted me. She said something along the lines of “I get why you moved back to Minnesota now” … the text was a little out of the blue so I asked for more context. She was recently hit with the idea of moving closer to family, a move that would uproot her life and really didn’t make sense. Back when I decided to move, she said it didn’t make sense to her but now with the very idea tumbling around in her own mind… she got it.
When I read her text, I laughed out loud and shared how all of that tracks because it barely made sense to me at the time.
I think when Paul describes God’s peace as surpassing all understanding this is what he is talking about. Knowing God’s voice, understanding His call, and responding to it won’t always make sense to ourselves or to others. But, it’s the peace we feel that gives us the confidence to go forward.
James 3:17 describes God’s wisdom to be pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, and without hypocrisy. Over my life, I’ve learned that God’s peace and call will not bring me into danger or ask me to do something harmful or irresponsible toward others. The peace I felt in making that initial move to Minnesota2 did not bring chaos to my life or require me to damage any relationships. I was able to be responsible and move forward with a calm presence. I had confidence that even though it didn’t make sense (remember: life in Portland was good), it was what God was pulling me toward.
In the thick of hard seasons, I’ve learned to ask “Who am I becoming”... in this process and still today my answer is:
I want to be someone who follows God’s peace instead of forcing a plan.
I don’t have the answer to why God asked me to leave something that was good. But, the peace I feel in being in Minnesota tells me this: just because I left something good, doesn’t mean that’s the only good thing God can do in my life.
Following God’s peace instead of a perfectly mapped out plan has given me confidence in His presence amidst this big decision. It’s not something I concluded on my own, it’s a conclusion that God’s peace led me to.
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Questions to consider when learning to notice and follow God’s peace.
When have I faced similar decisions or obstacles? How did I navigate those?
What does peace feel like in my body? My emotions? My confidence?
If I follow the peace, where does that lead me?
Ok, you caught me… it was a reel on instagram
The one that was supposed to just be six months but has now turned indefinite