It is most likely that is you asked any Christian if they wanted and strived to live and do whatever God’s will for their life was, I am sure that almost all of them would answer with an emphatic “YES”! Well… Ok, some may say I hope so or I am trying to, but the overall answer would be that we are trying to or want to have God’s will be the driving force of our lives.
Of course there have been many books written to “help us find that will” and most notably in my mind is the 2002 book by Rick Warren “The Purpose Driven Life“. ?I read through this book as part of a small group and then again on my own study agenda. Even though this book sold over 30 million copies, it by no means gives the reader some clear cut answer as to what God’s will for their life is. Nor does it help you find out why you are here and what you should be doing for the kingdom. ?Or at least it doesnt’ tell us in black and white what those answers are. As if we didnt know it already, there was already a book that gave us these answers. And in fact it was the first book ever published when Gutenburg invented moveable type (the printing press). That book… The BIBLE, sometimes referred to as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
Unfortunately for us people of the flesh, we are far worse than “doubting Thomas” could have ever thought to be when it comes to having faith in God’s word. Maybe we pass it off as the Bible being to vague about such an answer or that we just couldn’t find it or that we just need a more clearer message. The sad fact of the truth is, that if God himself were to send us a text message as to what our purpose or his will for our lives was to be, I am sure many of us would still dispute it and possibly even overlook the message entirely.
But not to totally bash the book, you can actually read through it and actually figure some of what God’s will for your life may be. Its just not spelled out in black and white. And thats because God’s will for your life is probably nothing at all what it is for my life and so forth. But yet in the Bible there are many places that tell us point blank what His will is. But I also think that far too many of us read through the scriptures and pass it off as stuff meant for the times back then. That life today is different, everything is different. While yes everything is different today… well except for a few things. God is no different today than He was when the scriptures were authored. And the Scriptures are just as relevant in life application today as they were then or will be tomorrow.
It will not always be as clear as the account of Gideon asking God for proof as in Judges 6:36-40. In this case God did show Gideon the signs he asked to be shown but it certainly will not be the case every time. ?And it is certainly not a good practice to try and bargain with God to have Him do things for you just to prove himself to you. But then of course if the spirit of the Lord comes over you and causes you to blow a trumpet, then I guess there is no telling what other kind of visual signs God will show you to get His point across. But I think you probably can think of many things in life that have happened that in mans wisdom were not supposed to. Say for example you sold your house in a matter of days in a totally dead market. Or you got a job over many candidates that were so very much more qualified for the job. Maybe you got a check or money from an unexpected source that was the exact amount you needed for some other financial burden or need that you had. And going a step further, what about the times when the faith in God and the strength he actually gives you helped you through the loss of a loved one.
At times God has supernaturally revealed His will through miraculous circumstances as seen in Acts 8:26. But this shouldn’t be sought for proof of God’s will for your life. God often places within us a desire for the very thing that will accomplish His will, but we must be careful so as to not do something out of selfishness and claim it as his will. For the most part we can also use common sense as a guide for God’s will, but that too can be put aside when He request things of us that are not of the natural. Such as the account of Noah and his boat building project… The Ark.
If we have confidence and peace about our decision it is a good indicator that we have found God’s will because when we are walking in His light and seeking his council, he will let us know when our choice was against what he would preferred we had done. Especially when it comes to choices that we make that we know even before we make them that they are not and will not be blessed by God. And when we do some of those stupid things we need to watch that we don’t let Satan cause havoc in our minds and cause us to then continue to go against God by telling God that he hasn’t forgiven us. Yes you heard me right…
As an example, say you did something that clearly was not a choice God would honor and even before you have finished your wrong doings, you already begin to feel guilt and remorse for what you have done and that God certainly didn’t approve. Well of course the next step is to go to Him and clear the air, and let Him know that you know you screwed up and you are not blaming it on anybody or anything but that you just downright were wrong. After you have repented and told God just how sorry you were and he has forgiven you, then who is it that keeps bringing it up in your face. Well I will tell you this… It’s not your Father.
Much in the same way when your day of judgement comes, its not like God will open the book and read out everything bad you ever did. If that was the case then the spilling of Jesus blood was for nothing and we know thats not the case.
One of the biggest things about finding God’s will for your life is actually right under your nose and you just are too blind to realize it. much like we think we can’t wait to live in eternity when is essence we actually already are once we found salvation. If we are walking and serving and asking God for His will to be lived out in our lives, then probably for many of us, it is already. I think that most of us think that we have to be of living in a tent in a third world country, or in seminary to become a preacher or holding up repent signs in the middle of a busy street to say we are living in Gods will. That is so far from the truth that it is funny, and in fact there are probably lots of Christians doing those things because they think by doing those things that they are getting into God’s will for their life.
Two big facts to take note of when trying to figure God’s will for your life are that we are told not only in 1 Corinthians 9:16 about preaching the gospel. But there are several places in scripture where we are instructed to preach the good news. And then in 2 Corinthians 5:20 we are plainly instructed to be ambassadors for Christ. It just can’t get any clearer than that but for some reason those answers just are not good enough for many of us. It can be very likely if you are wanting to walk and live in God’s will that you are doing that where you are. For example if you are a school teacher and the opportunity came up where some one in your class needed to hear of Gods love and you told them, well, that is of no less importance than a preacher speaking to hundreds of hardened Christains on a Sunday morning. ?That may be the only news of the gospel that child will ever hear. Or possibly you have some words for a stranger while you are pumping gas into your car. That is of no less importance than a missionary pastor speaking to hundreds of people in a third world country. There again that may be the only news of the gospel that person may ever hear and it may just be the catalyst that makes them realize they need to have Christ come into their hearts. That my friend is living in Gods will, its not some type of life that is visually religious or evangelistic. There is no scales on the way or the amount of people that get saved is measured.
Since you may already to actually be living in God’s will for your life, there may not be some great life changing event that is going to happen that suddenly says “you are now living in God’s will for your life”. You must also remember that one thing Satan can not stand to happen is for a person to live in God’s will. And he is a mastermind at making a person think that they are not living in God’s will and to cause doubt in their minds. And then as an added bonus he can use the alluring powers of temptation to get you to do stupid things so that you can be reassured that you are not in God’s will. ?But yet it is God’s will for your life that you come to Him when those things happen so you can clear the air with Him and not go around letting Satan continue to tell you that you are not worthy of being a child of God. They don’t call him the father of lies and deceit for just no reason, he can twist and pervert the truth into such a way that it seems so much like truth.
If you have made it this far and you still think that you don’t hear from God in a clear enough voice, then you are probably not alone. But I do know that if you have constant relationship with God, and you have told him in all truth that you desire to live in His will for your life and you actually mean it, then you know he knows if you mean it. You wont be fooling God trying to look good for Him, for He will no the heart with which you petition Him by. If you truly want to live in His will, then you will be living in it, unfortunately for some, it just wont be what you have pictured. But maybe if you accept that and continue to live in His will and pursue the world spreading the good news and standing up for God when he is wronged, then maybe you will finally begin to see His will being played out in your life.
Just like in any relationship, if there is distance between you and God, there will be difficulty hearing His voice in reference to His will. We must be communing with the Lord so that we will be able to communicate with Him and accept the fact that His will for us may not be what we have pictured. Asking the Lord to mold you and male you in His visoin of you is going to be painful at times, so then why would we expect some miracle life changing event with flashing signs that says “you are living in God’s will”.
His will for us may come in visions, by an Angelic messenger, a physical miracle, an audible voice or even a prophet. And just as we may see and learn of His will in such an array of ways there is an even greater variety of lifestyles and things in life that will be how God’s has us live in His will. Sometimes it is going to be hard to define the line between the desires of our heart and what His will for us may be. Especially when we look at what we “don’t have” and what our brothers “do have”. Then we begin to take scripture and make it justify our misfit lives and needs and at no point is it ever told to us thats what we are to do. ?If you want to live in His will, then that may just mean you wont be driving a Lexus but yet your brother in Christ may own two of them. His will in our life is not about material things, our job, our family or even our health. And for some of us, its those very things that can impede our ability to live in His will.
Now that you know God’s will for your life… Go Live It!
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