“Overwhelmed by Good Ideas? How to Discern God’s Will from Distraction”

God made me creative, VERY creative, LOL.

Of course, I am grateful for that, but sometimes I drive myself crazy. One idea after another rolls out of my sleeve. From one extreme to the other.

With every idea, I am actually always immediately lyrically enthusiastic and start working on it at full throttle right away until it has actually come to fruition. To give you a glimpse into my idea-brain, here is a small compilation:

Starting a webshop, putting together a workbook for a Bible study, designing merchandise, interviewing people, starting a podcast, setting up a coffee shop, becoming a wedding officiant (why?!!), buying a dilapidated chalet + renovating + then renting it out, writing a book, writing a children’s book, compiling my blogs, developing a journal, setting up a mobile coffee cart, setting up a mini home library with free books and Bibles, developing evangelism cards, organizing women’s events/Bible studies/gatherings….

Welcome to my brain, LOL.

Do you understand now that I sigh at every new “brilliant idea” and think, “Pffff, oh no, not another idea.

Discerning the Holy Spirit vs. Your Own Enthusiasm

I find it difficult not to do anything with those ideas; they often keep running through my head until I actually get to work on them.

Now I understand that the Holy Spirit can also keep speaking to you or keep reminding you when He wants to encourage you to pick something up, but since I am quite enthusiastic by nature, it is not very strange that I often let myself get carried away by that as well.

Quite tiring, actually…

Maybe it is a good plan after all that I finally learn to distinguish which idea comes from God and which I may do something with, and which idea comes from my own enthusiasm and which I may set aside.

Exhausted, I look at all my ideas that were initially in my brain and then suddenly sometimes literally lie right in front of me on the kitchen table, only for me to ask myself afterward… was this from God?

How the Enemy Uses Busyness as a Distraction

I realized that things really had to change, but how? Amidst all my plans, I could no longer find direction. Which way should I go? What is for me, and what can I let go of? Or what might not be for now, but for another season?

Plans and ideas are beautiful, especially if they glorify God, help build His Kingdom, and give Him all honor. But the enemy is not sitting still either, and to keep us from God’s plan for our lives, he comes up with all kinds of strategies.

Such as busyness, exhaustion, and overwhelming us with things that seem to come from God. He, too, can fire ideas at you that initially do not even seem wrong or incorrect; however, these ideas cause distraction. They lead us astray from the path we were on. We lose our focus on what God has truly called us to do. It robs us of precious time and energy.

I, too, regularly move forward at full speed. That is to say, on my own strength, only to be flooded with all the ideas and things I have accomplished on my own and to have strayed completely from the path of what God had truly called me to do. The original idea is the blueprint.

Believe me, you are not alone.

Taking Every Creative Thought Captive

One evening, my dear husband said something to me that hit me like a bombshell. It wasn’t necessarily something new I heard, but at that moment, it brought a revelation:

“From now on, whenever you have an idea, bring it to God first, then you say, ‘Lord, I have an idea. Is it from You? Or may I set it aside? Is it for now, or for another time?’ For the Word says in 2 Chronicles 10:5 that we may bring every thought into the obedience of Christ; I believe that applies to your ideas as well; bring everything to Him first before you start anything.”

Childishly simple advice, you might say? For me, the surge of an idea is actually quite complicated, LOL.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”- 2 Corinthians 10:5

Walking in Your Unique Gifts Without Exhaustion

God gave us all unique talents and gifts and skills. One is a born leader, another a teacher or coach. One is creative, and the other is more strategic; one writes easily, and the other speaks easily.

It is a journey of discovery to find out with God what He has called you to do, what you are allowed to do, and what He has for you. For when you walk in that which He made you for, that which He has placed within you and for which your heart burns, then it will certainly bear fruit, and you do not have to do it by your own strength. There is a blessing upon it!

For me, it is still a journey of discovery as well, and at certain moments it frustrates me that I do not yet have a clear direction, but we are allowed to learn, and I want to encourage you—and myself as well—with this

to let go of those things too, to trust in Him, and, not unimportantly, to trust in His timing.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” – Romans 12: 6-8

Are you walking proudly with Him? Show the world that He changed your life, or playfully remind them that “y’all need Jesus” – grab your favorite cap now in the webshop!

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Blessings!

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