Often times, some people make statements like "I really do not know what God wants me to do.", "If there is a God and he allowed me to be born and I'm still alive, what is his plan for me? Why am I here, and what am I supposed to be doing? How do I find out God's will for me so I don't waste my life?"
The Bible says; ''So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people. Make good use of every opportunity you have , because these are evil days. Don't be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do''€. (Ephesians 5:15-17). Yes, its good to know Gods will for our life, even the Bible says we should find out what the Lord wants us to do. But often times, many in searching to know Gods will, either did not get to know the exact plan, while some in the process; had opportunities pass them by.
The first thing is to know what they really mean by their statement they are seeking God's will. Is it to know what they should be doing today?, or perhaps what they will be doing in the future?, maybe its that God has a special thing He wants them to do?..
¤ First is we want God somehow to reveal the future to us. Often that is really what people mean, they want to know the future. Probably, if we knew the future we would know what direction to go and what to be doing now to prepare for it. This is putting the cart before the horse. The Bible makes us to know that we are to live in the present, putting our trust in the Lord, and daily living our lives for Him, and surely, He will direct and guide us towards what He wants us to do in the future, i.e, living by faith, we trust in God for today, and He will prepare us for future service and get us to where He wants us to be through this process.
¤ Some people expects God to speak to them in a direct way like 'My son, this is what I want you to do!''. But the truth of the matter is that often times (or most times), its not so. God speaks to us most times through circumstances; opportunities; people; and through His word.
There is a story of a man trapped on the top of his house during a flood. The water is swiftly rising, and this man cried out to God; ''God, please deliver me''. Few moments later, a farmer friend arrrives with his boat, and offered a ride to safety to help the man, but this roof-man said; ''No, God is going to deliver me''. A voluntary rescue person came by on his raft and offered to this roof-man, but he still rejects the offer (giving the same reply).
Death was near as the water is not far from reaching the roof, then fortunately a red cross volunteer swings by in a canoe, and offered an help to the roof-man, but he refuses. A couple of hours pass by and the water sweeps over the top of Roof-Man's house. He was carried away by the current and drowns. When he gets to Heaven, he meets Jesus and says; ''I thought you were going to deliver me.'' Jesus looks down at Roof-Man and said; ''I sent a boat, an inflatable raft, and a canoe-but you refused each one.'' Often, this is the story of our attempts to discern God's will.
¤ Some think that Gods will is about a feeling, they feel/think that Gods plan for them would be discovered through some emotional sensations. Well this is not so as Gods plan for our life is practical, not mystical.
¤ Some think that Gods will is about a formula, or some step by step procedure that we must rigidly follow through life. Well, life is not that simple! you need more than a formula.
If these are not really the right approach to knowing Gods will, then what is the right way to know Gods will? Why is Gods will not based on some kind of formula or feeling? Read on..
A good example in the bible is Ezekiel (one of thee most well-known prophets in the bible). He never planned to be a prophet. The males in his family were priest, and from birth, he was told that he would grow up to be a priest. Levites of the right lineage had to be 30 years old before they could enter the priesthood, with this in mind, he probably was living a normal life as a priest-to-be (i.e in his early twenties, as they were taken captive by Babylon when he was 25).
In captivity, Ezekiel could never become a priest, as he thought he was destined to be. The temple was in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel was living in Babylon. Perhaps he felt disappointed that his life was turning out differently than he expected, but he continued to follow the Lord.
At age 30, Ezekiel was at the River Chebar with other Israeli captives (Ezekiel 1:1), (When there was no temple, Jews would sometimes meet at the river to worship (Acts 16:13, Psalm 137:1). It was at this river that Ezekiel's life (or story) was changed forever. Ezekiel 1:1 describes his experience: "The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God." Wow!, this means that God's will for Ezekiel was not for him to remain in Jerusalem to become a priest after-all. He was meant for something greater.
Although he may have been disappointed at age 25, "the hand of the Lord was upon him" (Ezekiel 1:2). He continued to follow the Lord, even through his disappointment(s). At age 30, instead of becoming a priest in the temple, God sent him visions, and he became an exiled prophet that would see visions of things to come. (The book of Ezekiel describes visions that he had for the future, including visions of times that resemble the ones we are living in. He also prophesied about events that would happen in his days..).
Then, how can we also live according to the will of God?, its all stated by St. Paul in Romans 12: 1-2: ''I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.''
Verse 1: Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship''. Sacrifice is an offering, it is something given in an act of worship and dedication to God. It is something that is totally given, without anything held back.
Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus. I.e. In all we do, it should glorify God. (E.g: There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God. If you can't find it (i.e. If it doesn't glorify God), that may mean you should change your job.)
Verse 2: Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.'' To transform something means to change it. This statement recognizes that we all have a sinful nature that tries to influence us. Thus we are to be transformed from living a life of seeking worldly pleasures and self goals and desire to one of living for the Lord.
This transformation is not just our external behavior, but also the way we feel and think (our mind). Is it not plain therefore that there is one great task of the Christian life: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We need new hearts and new minds. ''Make the tree good and the fruit will be good.'' (Matthew 12:33).
Thats the great challenge. That is what God calls you to. You cannot do it on your own. You need Christ, who died for your sins. And you need the Holy Spirit to lead you into Christ-exalting truth and work in you. Give yourself to this. Immerse yourself in the written Word of God; saturate your mind with it. And pray that the Spirit of Christ would make you so new that the spillover would be good, acceptable, and perfect—the will of God.
So, in a nutshell, God's will is simply that we live today for Him, giving our lives sacrificially to Him, and He in turn will get us to where He wants us to be. Finding God's will comes when one lives his life daily for the Lord. It comes or is revealed as we obey God. That is God's will...that we obey Him daily trusting in Him.
We should not concern ourselves with seeking God's will in the sense of trying to know the future, but rather seek to obey God, and thereby be in His will. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says; "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
God has entrusted us with certain unique personal resources; and in daily living for Him, we get to know and develop these gifts, and fit thus into His divine agenda for us. God wants us to get to know Him, like He already knows us. Once this relationship is established, everything else — career, family, goals, recreation, ambitions, finances, health, and every other things will begin to fall into their proper place.
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The first thing is to know what they really mean by their statement they are seeking God's will. Is it to know what they should be doing today?, or perhaps what they will be doing in the future?, maybe its that God has a special thing He wants them to do?..
¤ First is we want God somehow to reveal the future to us. Often that is really what people mean, they want to know the future. Probably, if we knew the future we would know what direction to go and what to be doing now to prepare for it. This is putting the cart before the horse. The Bible makes us to know that we are to live in the present, putting our trust in the Lord, and daily living our lives for Him, and surely, He will direct and guide us towards what He wants us to do in the future, i.e, living by faith, we trust in God for today, and He will prepare us for future service and get us to where He wants us to be through this process.
¤ Some people expects God to speak to them in a direct way like 'My son, this is what I want you to do!''. But the truth of the matter is that often times (or most times), its not so. God speaks to us most times through circumstances; opportunities; people; and through His word.
There is a story of a man trapped on the top of his house during a flood. The water is swiftly rising, and this man cried out to God; ''God, please deliver me''. Few moments later, a farmer friend arrrives with his boat, and offered a ride to safety to help the man, but this roof-man said; ''No, God is going to deliver me''. A voluntary rescue person came by on his raft and offered to this roof-man, but he still rejects the offer (giving the same reply).
Death was near as the water is not far from reaching the roof, then fortunately a red cross volunteer swings by in a canoe, and offered an help to the roof-man, but he refuses. A couple of hours pass by and the water sweeps over the top of Roof-Man's house. He was carried away by the current and drowns. When he gets to Heaven, he meets Jesus and says; ''I thought you were going to deliver me.'' Jesus looks down at Roof-Man and said; ''I sent a boat, an inflatable raft, and a canoe-but you refused each one.'' Often, this is the story of our attempts to discern God's will.
¤ Some think that Gods will is about a feeling, they feel/think that Gods plan for them would be discovered through some emotional sensations. Well this is not so as Gods plan for our life is practical, not mystical.
¤ Some think that Gods will is about a formula, or some step by step procedure that we must rigidly follow through life. Well, life is not that simple! you need more than a formula.
If these are not really the right approach to knowing Gods will, then what is the right way to know Gods will? Why is Gods will not based on some kind of formula or feeling? Read on..
A good example in the bible is Ezekiel (one of thee most well-known prophets in the bible). He never planned to be a prophet. The males in his family were priest, and from birth, he was told that he would grow up to be a priest. Levites of the right lineage had to be 30 years old before they could enter the priesthood, with this in mind, he probably was living a normal life as a priest-to-be (i.e in his early twenties, as they were taken captive by Babylon when he was 25).
In captivity, Ezekiel could never become a priest, as he thought he was destined to be. The temple was in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel was living in Babylon. Perhaps he felt disappointed that his life was turning out differently than he expected, but he continued to follow the Lord.
At age 30, Ezekiel was at the River Chebar with other Israeli captives (Ezekiel 1:1), (When there was no temple, Jews would sometimes meet at the river to worship (Acts 16:13, Psalm 137:1). It was at this river that Ezekiel's life (or story) was changed forever. Ezekiel 1:1 describes his experience: "The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God." Wow!, this means that God's will for Ezekiel was not for him to remain in Jerusalem to become a priest after-all. He was meant for something greater.
Although he may have been disappointed at age 25, "the hand of the Lord was upon him" (Ezekiel 1:2). He continued to follow the Lord, even through his disappointment(s). At age 30, instead of becoming a priest in the temple, God sent him visions, and he became an exiled prophet that would see visions of things to come. (The book of Ezekiel describes visions that he had for the future, including visions of times that resemble the ones we are living in. He also prophesied about events that would happen in his days..).
Verse 1: Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship''. Sacrifice is an offering, it is something given in an act of worship and dedication to God. It is something that is totally given, without anything held back.
Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus. I.e. In all we do, it should glorify God. (E.g: There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God. If you can't find it (i.e. If it doesn't glorify God), that may mean you should change your job.)
Verse 2: Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.'' To transform something means to change it. This statement recognizes that we all have a sinful nature that tries to influence us. Thus we are to be transformed from living a life of seeking worldly pleasures and self goals and desire to one of living for the Lord.
This transformation is not just our external behavior, but also the way we feel and think (our mind). Is it not plain therefore that there is one great task of the Christian life: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We need new hearts and new minds. ''Make the tree good and the fruit will be good.'' (Matthew 12:33).
Thats the great challenge. That is what God calls you to. You cannot do it on your own. You need Christ, who died for your sins. And you need the Holy Spirit to lead you into Christ-exalting truth and work in you. Give yourself to this. Immerse yourself in the written Word of God; saturate your mind with it. And pray that the Spirit of Christ would make you so new that the spillover would be good, acceptable, and perfect—the will of God.
So, in a nutshell, God's will is simply that we live today for Him, giving our lives sacrificially to Him, and He in turn will get us to where He wants us to be. Finding God's will comes when one lives his life daily for the Lord. It comes or is revealed as we obey God. That is God's will...that we obey Him daily trusting in Him.
We should not concern ourselves with seeking God's will in the sense of trying to know the future, but rather seek to obey God, and thereby be in His will. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says; "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
God has entrusted us with certain unique personal resources; and in daily living for Him, we get to know and develop these gifts, and fit thus into His divine agenda for us. God wants us to get to know Him, like He already knows us. Once this relationship is established, everything else — career, family, goals, recreation, ambitions, finances, health, and every other things will begin to fall into their proper place.
