How can I know God’s will?

Ways NOT to know:

  • Open door + good feelings = recipe for possible disaster
  • Good (even ecstatic) feelings
  • Adrenal asking
  • Solo (at least on big issues)
  • $, prosperity, just for career advance

The Means of Grace

Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

  • “Still small voice” (ESJ)
  • Get in the “ready position.”
    • Works of piety: prayer, Bible study, fasting, giving, church, small group,
      Lord’s supper.
    • Work of mercy.

From the ready position, adrenal praying is at its best. James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

  •  Jim Elliot: Why do you need a voice when you have a verse? (Practice with 5Q)
  • John Wesley: Beware of religious experience without Bible study and constant prayer.

Out of some yokes, in a yoke

John 16:13: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

  • “The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master” (P.T.
    Forsyth, 19th-century Scottish Theologian).
  • Screens/ media
  • Addictions
  • Alliances
  • Self-orientation
  • IN a yoke? Have to have help (grace) to both get in and out of yokes
  • Get in with Jesus – personal relationship + the means of grace.

Counsel

  • Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
  • Familiar people in your life JW and marriage)
  • Relatively unfamiliar people that you seek out

Spiritual Gift

  • Teaching/leadership (“Administration” and the FMC opportunity)

Open door

  • Yes…but..not all open doors are God’s will. Need to be very careful here.
  • Most “open doors” lead us to better situation at work, more money, better geographical locale and the departure of some problems at the old place. But is that necessarily God’s “open door?”

Sanctification

  • 1 Thess. 4:3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification;
  • Ask: will this make me, or others, more holy?

Years ago, I toured as an opening act for Rich Mullins. I loved overhearing conversations at the autograph table; they often turned serious and urgent.

More than once, a fan asked Rich how to discern the will of God. Rich would listen and then offer an unexpected perspective. He’d say, “I don’t think finding God’s plan for you has to be complicated. God’s will is that you love him with all your heart and soul and mind, and also that you love your neighbor as yourself. Get busy with that, and then, if God wants you to do something unusual, he’ll take care of it. Say, for example, he wants you to go to Egypt.” Rich would pause for a moment before flashing his trademark grin. “If that’s the case, he’ll provide 11 jealous brothers, and they’ll sell you into slavery.”

When I find myself wrestling with life decisions, I think of Rich’s Egypt Principle. It makes me laugh, and then it asks me to get down to the serious business of determining which of my options allow me to best love God and other people.

Source: Carolyn Arends, “Consolation Prize,” CT magazine June, 2013), p. 64

Common/Sanctified Sense

  • If you find yourself miles away from shore in a boat with no friends but there are some paddles on board, I suggest grabbing an oar. Just common sense.

Practice

  • Small issues, as well as big
  • Hal and Crawford – Burger King? Or, McDonald’s?