It’s one of the most common questions a graduating senior asks — and one of the most anxiety-producing. What if I pick the wrong door?

That’s exactly the framework Pastor Jason Smith came to dismantle on this week’s episode of the 226 NextGen Podcast.

Joined by Youth Pastor Garrett McCord and youth ministry assistant Andrea, the conversation covers something every parent of a teenager needs to hear: the way most people think about God’s will is not just unhelpful — it’s theologically broken.

The Door Number Two Problem

Pastor Jason describes how he used to picture life like a game show: three doors, one right answer, and a pit of despair behind the wrong ones. His job was to read the spiritual tea leaves correctly or lose everything.

He spent years under that weight — until he recognized it for what it was: a distorted view of God as Father.

“Don’t you think I’m much more of a caring father?” The Spirit of God reframed it for him. Doors don’t just collapse into nothingness when you walk through them in good faith. God shuts doors. He merges paths. He uses the seasons of floundering — the engineering degree, the lawn mowing, the asking for your job back — for things you can’t see yet.

A Five-Step Framework for Big Decisions

For those moments when a decision actually has to be made, Pastor Jason walks through a practical process:

  1. What does the Bible say? If Scripture speaks clearly, the revealed will of God is already in front of you.
  2. Use your brain. God made a logical universe. A pros-and-cons list isn’t unspiritual — it’s faithful stewardship of the mind He gave you.
  3. Seek wise counsel. People who know you, love you, and have explicit permission to tell you when you’re wrong. Not yes-men.
  4. Surrender your motives. Be honest — with yourself and with God — about why you want what you want. Pride, fear, and greed don’t disqualify you from the process, but they do need to be named and handed over.
  5. Surrender your will. Tell God you’ll go wherever He leads. If He gives you a clear sense of peace and direction, follow it. If He doesn’t, you’re free to choose wisely from what’s in front of you.

For Parents in the Room

Garrett makes the point that this conversation doesn’t start at 18. The way you talk to a five-year-old about what they want to be when they grow up is already shaping how they’ll approach that question at 18. The language you use now matters.

Andrea adds what parents of older kids already know: sometimes the best thing you can do is be quiet and pray. And that knowing when to let God work — without your intervention — is its own spiritual discipline.

Pastor Jason closes with something worth sitting with: the goal of parenting isn’t children who make decisions you approve of. It’s children who can stand on their own two feet and hear the Lord themselves.

There’s grace upon grace in this. None of us has a perfect game plan. That’s not the hope. The hope is Christ.

Listen to the Full Conversation

Episode 014 of the 226 NextGen Podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

If something in this episode connects and you want to talk it through — how to actually use Scripture this way, where to start, what this looks like in community — reach out. Garrett, Daniel, and Teresa are here and would love to sit down with you.

Share This Episode

Know a parent raising a teen? Send them this episode. Small decisions made early often shape the long road ahead.

Let’s raise the next generation with wisdom and courage.

Subscribe to the 226 Next Gen Podcast

Never miss an episode. Subscribe on your favorite platform:

Recent Stories