God’s Will
“… when God first called us to leave Florida and come to Chattanooga and come to Silverdale, I immediately felt God leading but Susan said, ‘I’ve got to get a clear word from God if we are to go.’ She had been studying the life of Moses and specifically, the passage in Exodus where Moses prays, ‘Lord, I will not go up unless you go with me.’ Well, God’s response to Moses was this verse, Exodus 33:14, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Well, when we came to Chattanooga for our interview, what verse happened to be on the church sign? Exodus 33:14. Susan said, ‘Did you tell them?’ ‘No. You said you had to have a word, well God put it on the sign.'” – Pastor Tony Walliser
Read Psalm 119
God’s Will
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these days… thinking about “God’s Will” for my life.
I know, I know… that’s some deep thinking for a busy man. Yet, I have been doing it anyway.
As I started searching God’s Word, I found numerous things that should be construed as God’s Will for our lives. So, I narrowed them down to 10.
Now, there is no formula for knowing God’s Will. It is not a feeling. In fact, I don’t believe that God can be confined to a formula or to a feeling any more than He can be confined to a box or a pocket.
In my mind it’s more relational than anything. It’s about a relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s about striving to know Him more… striving to become more and more like Him. The more I read His Word and seek after Him, the more I become like Him – the more I will know how He thinks… know His desires… know His will.
God’s Will for Our Lives
- To love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
- To love your neighbor as yourself
- To flee evil
- To be joyful and give thanks in all circumstances
- To praise Him and worship Him
- To dwell on all that is good and pure and true
- To go therefore and make disciples
- To daily put on the full armor of God
- To daily take up your cross and follow Him
- To pray continually
Now these 10 things may not specifically answer the “What does God want me to be when I grow up?” questions of life.
However, they will lead us to the throne… they will lead us to Him… they will guide us in our daily decision making… and will lead us to these next questions:
- Am I walking with God daily?
- Am I striving to be more like Christ?
- Am I pursuing the things of God?
- Am I in a place where I can be becoming who He has made me and called me to be?
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” – Galatians 5:16-17 NLT