“Always wait until things are clear to you, and don’t rush into anything!” (Inner Word)
How do we make decisions that aren’t predetermined but instead require the right guidance? Do we consult with our Father and wait until His light shows us the path we are to take? Circumstances and our natural desire to make quick decisions can easily push us to act. We want to know what we’re supposed to do. Often, we’re driven by external forces and succumb to them instead of reining them in. Sometimes, we also feel pressured by other people. It’s hard for us to wait for the right moment.
On the spiritual path, however, we learn to act differently. We understand that God guides us and that we should wait for the right time. This doesn’t make us sluggish or indecisive. Rather, we learn to act in accordance with kairos—that is, to wait for the right moment. Yet this moment lies in God’s hands. Thus, haste and rashness fade, and trust and patience take root.
This path is more than just a useful exercise in patience, because it means waiting on the Lord, which is of a different quality. We want to do what the Lord has planned. We want to follow in His footsteps and act in union with our Father.
This requires a decision. It cannot remain merely a general desire to be under God’s guidance. Rather, it must take concrete form as we wait for God’s light to guide our decision. If, even after praying for and waiting for guidance, we still do not understand it—and a decision must be made—then we act according to reason.