before you decide: Trusting God Instead of Urgency

There is a difference between urgency and assignment—and as women in ministry leadership, we must learn to discern it.

King Saul’s story in 1 Samuel 13 and 1 Samuel 15 is one of the clearest warnings in Scripture about what happens when urgency overrides obedience. Saul was surrounded by pressure, facing opposition, watching everything feel like it was slipping through his hands. So he acted- quickly and completely outside of God’s instruction.

It looked responsible and It felt necessary, but it was disobedience.

And how often do we find ourselves in that same place?

The tension rises in our homes.

Decisions need to be made.

Conversations feel pressing.

The weight of leadership, family, and expectations collide all at once.

And suddenly, urgency feels like wisdom.

But here is a truth we must anchor ourselves in:

What comes from the Lord does not come wrapped in chaos, division, or anxiety. Even when God calls us into something unfamiliar—something stretching, something uncomfortable—it will still carry peace.

Because God is not the author of confusion.

If a decision is producing:

• Fear that drives you

• Chaos that overwhelms you

• Division that fractures your relationships

…it is worth pausing.

Especially within your marriage and especially within your family. Because when something is truly from the Lord, it will never require you to sacrifice unity.

The enemy thrives in rushed decisions, in heightened emotions, and in miscommunication that spirals into division. That’s where arguments are born, that’s where disconnection deepens, and that is not the fruit of the Spirit at work.

Yes—waiting on the Lord will often feel urgent. We are human. We feel pressure. We want resolution.

But urgency should never push us into disobedience..

Urgency is not always God’s voice. Sometimes it’s fear dressed as responsibility.

There may even be a decision in front of you right now that feels like it has a deadline—like if you don’t act quickly, the opportunity will pass.

But hear this:

It is far better to be a faithful steward of your obedience and let a “good” opportunity pass… than to rush ahead and miss the “God” opportunity He had prepared for you.

Not every open door is yours to walk through.

Not every urgent moment is yours to respond to.

Saul teaches us what happens when we ignore that truth.

Because of his repeated disobedience—because he acted without God’s authority, because he offered unauthorized sacrifice and chose control over obedience—the Word says the Lord rejected him as king. And even more sobering, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14).

Outwardly, Saul could still look like a king, but inwardly, he was misaligned.

And that is one of the most dangerous places a believer—or a leader—can be: functioning externally while disconnected internally from the presence and covering of God.

When we step outside of God’s will, when we take matters into our own hands and “help God out,” we may still look like we’re leading well, serving well, or holding things together—but we are no longer flowing from the Spirit’s direction.

And eventually, that misalignment produces bad fruit:

• Anxiety instead of peace

• Control instead of surrender

• Division instead of unity

• Exhaustion instead of rest

  
  

Saul’s life after this moment spiraled into insecurity, jealousy, torment, and instability. He became increasingly driven by fear and comparison, even chasing what God had already chosen to bless elsewhere. When we move without God, we don’t just miss instruction—we often lose the peace that should have anchored us.

but, here is the encouragement: Saul’s story is not just about failure—it’s a warning wrapped in grace.

It reminds us:

• You can be chosen and still drift if you don’t remain surrendered

• You can start out humble but slowly let fear take the lead

• You can look spiritual outwardly but be misaligned inwardly

So if you find yourself at the corner of making a decision—whether it’s a new role, a new home, a new job opportunity, a new city, a new school for your kids, or something else you’re wrestling with…

Pause.

Ask God to make your heart sensitive to hear His instructions clearly—and give you the courage to obey.

Because we don’t just make decisions—we make decisions with God’s heart.

Not rushed.

Not reactive.

But anchored in His sovereignty.

God’s direction may stretch you, but it will never divide what He has called you to protect.

Prayer

Father,

We lay down our urgency and choose to trust You.

In every decision before us, make our hearts sensitive to hear Your voice clearly. Quiet fear, remove confusion, and lead us in Your peace. Teach us to wait well and to obey—even when it’s uncomfortable.

Remind us that we don’t just make decisions—we make decisions with Your heart. Keep us from rushing ahead of You, and protect our homes, families, and leadership from anything not aligned with You.

Thank You that You are not slow, but patient and faithful in all Your promises.

We trust Your timing. We trust Your way.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.