First of all, who can argue with those statements?  If God told them to do something, then they'd better do it.  No one should question such a decision if God told them to do it.  But God-told-me statements assume a lot.  I don't like God-told-me statements because they give people trump cards that no one can question.  God never meant for a Christian's decision to be free of critique from other believers. 

Secondly, God-told-me statements relieve people of any need to take responsibility for their actions.  If they get to their new job on the east coast and it turns out to have been a bad move, then they might grin and bear it as God's will.  Or, if they're really in a tight spot, they can say they misunderstood God's will and return to California.  Either way, they won't have to own their decision.  They can blame God for telling them to move in the first place. 

And there are those who say, "I'm not going anywhere until God clearly tells me."  I wonder if this bunch takes the same approach to eating?  "I'll wait here at my desk until I have peace about making that move to the refrigerator.  I don't want to get ahead of God, you know.  Let me pray about it for a while." 

Now if it seems that I'm making fun of people such as this…I am.  I have little patience with this mentality—the I'm-so-full-of-faith-that-I'm-waiting-on-God-to-direct-my-every-move.  These people are full of something, but it's not faith. 

Isn't our faith supposed to enable us, not handicap us?  Why do we hide behind spiritual language such as "God's calling" and "God's will"?  Most likely, many people have misunderstood passages such as Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  They think verses such as this means God will make every step of life an easy decision.  But God rarely makes our choices easy.  Life is confusing and we have to practice faith.  No matter how much we give God credit for directing us, we still make the decision.  And we will live with the consequences. 

It's true that we humans have a tendency to forget God in our planning.  That's why James 4:13-16 teaches what it does about saying, "If the Lord wills."  We need to make our plans with an understanding of God's sovereignty.  But this passage is not a warning against planning, it's a warning against planning without God or death in mind.

Christians will be better off if they look at what the Bible teaches about God's will and stop parroting what they've heard other Christians say.  Once they do, they will possess the freedom to make adult decisions.

Who wouldn't want God to tell them every road to take in life?  "Purchase this much health insurance.  Marry this person.  Buy this car (no, not the black one, the red one)."  But wouldn't that negate the purpose of faith?  The fact that we live by faith, and not sight, simplifies this conversation—we've got decisions to make and God will probably not tell us anymore than he's already told us in the Bible. 

Stop hiding behind spiritual language and start taking chances.  God will not be your fortune cookie telling you every decision to make.  In the mean time, enjoy life and do what you know Scripture teaches (e.g., love God and love others). 

If the move you make turns out to be a bad decision, then welcome to the human race.  That's what we do—we make decisions.  Some of them wise, and some foolish. 

For my co-workers, God won't tell us where to move while we're in the shower, or while we're buying another latte at Starbucks, or while we're soaking up the sun on the beach.  He probably won't even tell us while we're worshipping in church.  He's just not going to do it.  Why? 

Because he's stubborn.  And because he's already shown us what to do.  He gave us a glob of gray matter and expects us to use it—to learn his Word, to consult with other Christians, and to take responsibility for our actions.