Options

option |ˈäpSH(ə)n| noun1 a thing that is or may be chosen: choose the cheapest options for supplying energy.• [in singular] the freedom, power, or right to choose something: she was given the option of resigning or being dismissed | he has no option but to pay. 
Trying to discern the will of God in the midst of so many options is not easy. I have no clear direction about many of them. I do get direction from time to time about what I am not supposed to do. How is anyone to discover the will of God in the midst of so many options. 
How is the student to decide where or if they should go to college? If they decide to go to college there are hundreds to choose from. How can anyone know the will of God in such things? 
When a person chooses to get married there are options. There are hundreds, thousands, millions of eligible people to choose from in our nation alone. How does a person go about finding Mr. or Mrs. RIght in a sea of faces? 
Here I am trying to learn the will of God about where I should serve Him? There is a great big world out there. Am I called to missions out of the country? I am able to narrow that down to not feeling called to serve as a full time missionary out of the country. I do feel called to pastor a local church but that may or may not be limited to my home state in Texas. The United States is a big country. There are thousands and thousands of churches. How do I choose the best option? I don't. I let God choose for me. 
Many people have sent me options of places they think I might could serve in local churches in the state of Texas. Brenda and I prayerfully entertain them all. We do not know the best option. We don't know if we will continue our ministry in Texas or go to another state. The options so far seem limited to Texas but we remain open to whatever God wills. 
Not just the best option for Brenda and me. God's best option. We want His will above our own. The one place He has reserved for us to serve Him is the true desire of our hearts. That special group of people who are praying for Go dot send them a pastor just as Brenda and I pray to be sent somewhere. We pray for a place where a special bond takes place between pastor and the flock as well as the flock and the pastor and his family. A place where we have no doubts God orchestrated the union. A place where God has ordained my family. How do we ever learn where that place might be? Only God can reveal it. 
The whole pastor search process has it flaws. In our circles pastor search committees are formed. Resumes are solicited. Recommendations are given. Resumes are sifted. A list of candidates are narrowed down. Much prayer is offered.Sermons are listened to. Interviews are conducted. References are checked. Sometimes backgrounds are checked and education is verified. After all this grueling process a search committee will settle on an individual. They recommend that individual to the church body. The candidate will be invited to minster to the people and to be voted on. If the vote is favorable the church will extend an invitation for the pastor and HIs family to come serve. 
All well and good. There are still options. What if more than one church wants to deal with more than one candidate at a time because they do not know the will of God. What if a candidate deals with more than one church at a time because he does not know the will of God. Options. 
And there is the option to follow God in obedience or to disobey God  in rebellion. What if God's option does not fit into the preconceived options people have prayed about? What if God leads in a direction never considered before? What if God shuts every other option except one that may look challenging and less desirable to the flesh than previous options that were closed? 
In a world of options may the people of God only want one option. God"s will.  All through the Bible when God willed something to be done or a direction to be taken He found multiple ways to reveal His will. People did not have to wonder. He is still able to do that today. He still communicates. He still opens and shuts doors. He still orchestrates circumstances. He still speaks through the Bible and the Holy Spirit to reveal His heart and mind. 
In a world of options I know He has a perfect plan. I want to be in the center of that perfect plan and the center of His will. He knows best. He knows way better than me. So I am totally comfortable in surrendering to Him. I yield to His preference in this world  of options. I wait for Him to assign me. His option will always be the best. Better than what I would choose for myself. Better than what you can choose for yourself. Let us wait on Him. Let us trust Him. Let us follow when He points the way and when He chooses the option.