Heart Yes

Hey, what's up? I'm gonna apologize for the goggle marks on my eye. Just got done with a beautiful swim. But hopefully that doesn't distract you because I have an important message for you about a heart. Yes, perhaps you're familiar with the book by Derek Sivers called Hell yeah or what's Worth Doing. If you haven't read it or heard of it, you've no doubt been introduced at some point in your life to a saying that was directly influenced by that book. Namely, if it's not a hell yes, it's a no, if it's not a hell yes, it's a to know. For the most part, I think it's a pretty good bit of advice to live by, especially when making important decisions or weighing the prioritization of the many opportunities that inevitably come the way of most humans these days. However, the part that Derek and this saying largely leaves out is the consideration of seeking God's wisdom and discernment in any decisions, large or small, that we make. So lately I've been making a point to ask God to guide my decision making for more clarity. So what does that process look like? First, it requires constant daily dialogue and union with God. Don't wait to come to God when you have a decision to make. Instead, worship God daily, praise God daily, talk to God daily, pray without ceasing to that higher power. And perhaps most importantly, make space in your busy life to slow down and listen to God daily. After all, in the Bible, God meets with this prophet named Elijah. But in First Kings, it says that it required silence. It says there was a great wind so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind was an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a sound of, you guessed it, sheer silence. Now, when Elijah heard that silence, he wrapped his face in his mantle and he went out and he stood at the entrance of the cave. And then a voice came to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah? What are you doing here? So that's what you do. You wait for the silence. So I shut down my headphones, my music, my audiobooks, my podcasts, my phone calls, my text messages, my notifications. I make space, preferably in the morning. And then I lay my decisions before God. What should I choose? God, who should I talk to today? God. What should I eat? God, what is my highest priority for work today? God, Is this right for me? God? Should I move? God? Should we have a baby? God? Does this honor you? God? If God says yes and it truly is a heaven yes. And trust me, that's much better than a hell yes then if your experience is anything like mine, it's not a shout or a thundering voice that you hear, but rather a sensation that your heart feels clean and light about the decision you made or will make. And you have this feeling as though a weight has been lifted from your chest and a burden removed from your back. You'll feel this restful, satisfied peace and subtle knowing that you've made the right decision. And that's what a heart yes and a heaven yes from God feels like. So here's my challenge for you. Don't just listen to yourself. Listen to God. Go to God for every decision you make, whether large or small, and you will, with practice and dedication, learn to discern his voice and learn what a heaven yes truly feels like. Try it out.