How to Tell a Good Idea from a God Idea

Good ideas are just as they appear, good. It may be the idea to quit your job, start a new one, or even begin a relationship … regardless there’s nothing wrong with them. They bring opportunity, success and growth. But what if you no longer settled for just ‘good’ in your life and opened yourself up to the best that God has for you? What would your life look like? What would your future look like?

In the past, I was all about chasing the good. If something seemed good I went for it, an opportunity came up I took it, and if something was on sale I bought it… all in the attempt of momentary satisfaction. I feared missing out on something good without even stopping to question whether it was in fact God’s best for me. I never paused to consider that He might have something better in mind.

By pursuing the ‘good’ I actually missed out on more than I gained. I exchanged God’s blessings for cheap counterfeits, failed to experience His peace, and missed out on following His will. Sure I might have gained extra income, or had a good time, but in the end I knew my decisions were rooted in impatience. I believed that I knew better and it was too risky to wait on God.

Now I really do know better.

If I want to live a life fully devoted to God I can’t just be seeking good anymore. I need to purposefully seek God, and His will in every decision I make. I know that when I do this, things will always work out for my good.

‘Good’ ideas may bring opportunity, success and growth, but ‘God’ ideas bring all these things … and more! They bring blessing, character development, good fruit, and lead ultimately to His glory. They provide me with exactly what I lack, right when I need it.

So how can you tell a  ‘Good’ idea from a ‘God’ idea?

Good ideas…

1. Make you less like God by producing ungodly fruit in your life:

You may notice slight changes within yourself, but sometimes it’s hard to notice if you’re in the middle of something that is clearly not God’s best for you. Enlist some loved ones to make you accountable and value the opinions they share. If they’ve noticed that something is birthing negative fruit in your life then it’s clearly not a ‘God’ idea.

Eg. Insecurity in a new relationship, gossip in a new job, anger, frustration, selfishness etc.

2. Seek your own glory (the main motive for doing it is for yourself):

Your success, your opportunity, your fame and glory.

There’s nothing wrong with seeking success and growth, but question the reasons behind why you’re seeking it. Is it so you can earn more income, be promoted, respected, gain someone’s approval? If it’s anything like this you can be sure it’s not a ‘God’ idea. ‘God’ ideas seek success etc. so that God can be glorified through them, relationships can be built, and you can be an impactful witness to others.

Note: The only approval you should be seeking is God’s. By seeking the approval of others you may find yourself doing things that contradict your heart and the values of God’s heart too. There is no good that can come from this.

3. Draw you away from God:

We should never be doing anything that contradicts God’s word or the values of His heart. If you engage in these kind of things and give way to sin, you can be sure that they will stand as a barrier which prevent greater intimacy in your relationship with God. We should always seek to obey God for this pleases Him and deepens your relationship together.

4. Lack peace and make you feel a sense of urgency about it:

Eg. if you don’t do this then you’ll miss out on an opportunity.

1 Corinthians 4:13 tells us “God is not a God of disorder but of peace”. If you ever feel pressured into buying something, taking an opportunity or doing something ….. stop and pray. Take a week to breathe and really seek God’s peace about the situation. If you don’t feel peace then don’t do it.

Now we know what kind of ideas we want to avoid!

This is how you can spot a ‘God’ idea …

God ideas …

• Make you more like God  by producing Godly fruit in you
• Seek the glory of God as the motivation for all you do
• Draw you closer to God and deepens your relationship
• Give you peace which assures you it’s His will

Next time you’re presented with a new idea, opportunity, or decision to make, pray for the wisdom to recognize whether it’s really a ‘God’ idea or just a ‘good’ idea. If it’s a ‘God’ idea … go for it! However if it’s only a ‘good’ idea, pray and wait … and know that God has something better for you just around the corner.

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