Seeking inspiration and guidance

These last few weeks, I've been practicing praying about almost every decision. I haven't taken it as far as praying about which breakfast flakes to buy or which tie would go better with my pink shirt (for all the "G" in my "MP," I cannot for the life of me coordinate colors), but I'm still seeking guidance a whole lot more than I used to.

This last week, I've had a couple pretty significant decisions looming over my head. Both had potential for semi-catastrophic financial loss and some emotional distress. I had already made one decision, which opened the possibility for another. I had prayed about the first and felt good about the choice I'd made, even though it made me kind of sad.  Anyway, I was praying about decision two and initially felt incredibly apprehensive. I figured that was my answer and just about moved on, but I ruminated for just another minute and that apprehension started to subside, replaced with some confidence.

That kinda worried me. The apprehension was sudden and fleeting and it was replaced with confidence, but I couldn't really tell which feeling was the one I should heed. They say that your first impressions are usually the most correct, but the second impressions were more powerful and long lasting.

Anyway, I went about my day with that question in the back of my mind. I asked close friends and family to pray that I'd be able to understand which was the right decision.  I went to campus devotional, which was about the need for righteous desire to be the foundation of any decision.  I began to ponder if this question I had was a righteous desire or not, and then it hit me: God doesn't care about this financial decision. I don't mean that he was apathetic about it or about me, but to him, it didn't matter which choice I made.    The devotional's message wasn't speaking to my financial concerns, it was speaking to my spiritual concerns.

God is more concerned with my righteous desires to aspire in his gospel and to serve him in his appointed way than he is with my righteous desire to make money and become more financially successful and independent.  While those goals I have to be richer and live more comfortably are righteous and worthy goals, I have enough work to do in more eternal senses; in that respect, my time would be better spent asking for advice in those areas.

I know that God cared about that financial decision I made yesterday and as the day went on, I felt more and more confident that I was making the right choice. But I also know that by blinding myself with things that don't really matter, I almost missed something that did. I'm going to continue praying for advice over more trivial matters, but I also am resolving to spend as much time praying for advice over eternal principles.