The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions

by Emily P. Freeman

there is almost always a gap between what we say we believe and what we actually believe. None of us are exempt. If we believe God is mad at us, we will be afraid of making a wrong move for fear he will snap. If we believe God is distant, we will feel alone and untethered in our decision-making. If we believe God is a scolding parent, we may delegate decisions to someone else so we can avoid the consequences. If we believe God is wimpy, we will think that maybe we can manipulate him into doing what we want. If we believe God is indifferent, we may feel he probably doesn’t care what happens one way or another. If we believe God is like a carnival barker presenting three cups, we will feel cheated or duped when we assume he is forcing us to guess which one is hiding the right answer. Do we believe God is like a puppeteer, a kind old grandfather, an abusive parent, an insecure friend, a greedy king, a manipulative mother, or a golden retriever?