Have you tried to figure out the will of God in your life? Several people stood Sunday when I asked - has anyone here ever wondered or asked why they were here. Figuring out God's will for our lives is of utmost importance I believe.
Most of you know that one of my favorite passages in the Bible is Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer 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.
It clearly states that if we put more of God into our lives and less of self and/or the world and we will be able to see more clearly the will of God in our lives.
John's gospel recorded John the Baptist saying the same thing in a different way. John 3:30 - He must become greater; I must become less.
Most of you know that one of my favorite passages in the Bible is Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer 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.
It clearly states that if we put more of God into our lives and less of self and/or the world and we will be able to see more clearly the will of God in our lives.
John's gospel recorded John the Baptist saying the same thing in a different way. John 3:30 - He must become greater; I must become less.
Practically speaking - spending more time in worship, in study of the Bible, in prayer, in conversations about God, in listening to Christian music, in serving others for Christ's sake, will translate into a clearer understand of what God wants in our lives.
Do you agree?
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5 comments:
I don't fully agree, those activities will make a person more focused on hanging out and spending time with like minded people, at the expense of being a light in a dark world. What's the point of having Jesus in your life if all it produces is exclusivity?
Those activities (commendable as they are) will result in a person being so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use.
Michael
I would like to submit this-
This is the will of God:
1 Tim. 2:3 this is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Eph. 5:17 therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
1 The. 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
1 Pet. 2:13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
Be submissive
1 Pet. 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
1 Pet. 3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
Be willing to suffer if need be for the sake of doing good.
Be saved, spirit filled, sanctified (holy), submissive, willing to suffer!!!
Psa. 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
I have heard it said that if you want to know God’s will for you and how you should go about finding a wife: be the right husband! Other than these things above, do what you want and don’t make a dog’s breakfast out of choosing simple details.
Michael - this wasn't a post on evangelism - it was a post on finding the will of God. The more of God you pour into your life, the more clearly God's will in your life will be.
I agree we need to be a light in a darkened world - and that is what God calls us to do - but that too is putting more of God into our lives - witnessing to others (I had that under serving others).
Great scriptures Bob - of course - the Word is always good.
Your argument makes sense as long as evangelism is kept as an activity, and not a lifestyle. It's easy to opt out of activities (I don't do evangelism), but when Christians are told to present themselves as living sacrifices, it means that going into the whole world and preaching the gospel no longer has an opt out clause.
There is hardly any point in always being ready to give account for the joy within you, if the only folks you are giving account to are in the same club. It does nothing but foster elitism, when the message of Jesus was anything but elitist.
Tom
I think that there are two things being discussed here. One is a specific call on a specific individual's life that is from God that they have heard and are following and living out. The second is things that are God's global will that all people should do.
If I am reading ray correctly he is asking about 'calling' and doing God's will for you through walking out your calling. Some are called to be pastors, teachers, etc etc.
Reading scripture we can see that there are things that are on God's heart all the time - feeding the hungry and helping out widows and orphans. Does this mean that we all should be totally sold out to these two activities? I dont think so. But if as a church we encounter situations where we can meet the needs of the poor and the hungry then I dont think we can avoid those opportunities.
To go back to specific God's will for my life thoughts - I dont know if many people have actually sat down and waited on the Lord long enough to have a clear sense of the path that He has for them. I think more people stumble from one day to the next and try to be as good as they can be during each day, but do not wake up each day with a sense of God ordained purpose.
Is that what you are hinting at pastor?
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