My problem with intuition

Hi friends! I hope this note finds you doing well. This week's column basically gives you a glimpse into how I think, and a lot of times, it's not a good thing. Find out more by reading my column, and if you get something out of it, pass it along to your friends and followers. Thanks for reading!

Original publication date: Friday, June 26, 2015
Random Writer
My problem with intuition

Intuition is "the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning." Something in our gut just tells us that something is going to happen--whether good or bad, or whether all the details have been laid out.

Growing up, I almost thought I didn't have any kind of intuition. At this point in life I still think it's barely there, but several times in the past year or two I've seen that intuition grow, and in some instances I was right. When my friend told me about an upcoming foreign missions trip, my first thought was, "it will be a spiritual game-changer". And two months later, after that trip and other events that took place, my friend told me what I already knew--that the trip was where the spiritual growth began.

Recently, intuition has really played a role in my life, and unfortunately it hasn't been a good thing. Watching things take place or what's said in conversations can lead to conclusions or the belief that intuition is telling you something is going to happen, and it isn't a good thing. And one of the bad qualities that I've picked up along the way in life is that once I believe something is going to happen, nothing will change my mind; I think it's set in stone. And because I'm a person who loves to prepare, I begin making plans for any and all possible scenarios that might take place--because I'm one of those people that tries to see what will happen if Route A, Route B, etc. is followed.

So when all my little ducks are in a row for as many rows as I can imagine, I wait, mostly under the canopy of anxiety. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. In most cases, it's a lengthy wait that's eventually accompanied by stress and lack of rest. And when I finally step back to see everything as it is--after all that time--I realize something: I'm not letting God be in full control of the circumstances.

First, what is intuition after all? Why am I letting my own thoughts lead and guide my steps instead of the Holy Spirit? My thoughts can lead to paths of destruction to where I lose focus on the things of Christ, whereas following the leading of the Holy Spirit can take me through paths of righteousness.

And why am I planning so much? Yes, we've discussed this topic a time or two in this little writing space of mine, but in James 4 it explains the danger in making all these plans on our own instead of under the leadership of Christ. The writer explains that life is a vapor and how our plans ought to be prefaced with "if the Lord wills" (James 4:15).

The Bible also calls out worry and anxiety. "Be anxious for nothing," says the Scriptures. "Don't worry about what you'll eat or drink or how tomorrow will unfold" (Matthew 6, my paraphrase). Instead, I should replace worry and anxiety and stress with patience, peace and easiness.

The God who created the universe also created me, and He knows the plans He has for me. If His plan is to bring me through a hard situation, He does it so I can call on Him for rescue; He does it so that people will see His awesome ways; He does it in order for me to grow. If He bestows blessing upon blessing, He does it because I am His child, because He loves me.

Maybe, as Christ-followers, we should reconsider the role of intuition in our lives. Maybe we should replace it with prayer and Bible reading so that we can line ourselves with the will of God. Because when we find ourselves centered in God's will, we'll find ourselves in a beautiful and safe place.