August 2, 2010
BY POPULAR DEMAND: DISCERNING GOD’S WILL
Posted by Michael
Listen in: Discerning God’s Will
Learn:
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, 9-12
1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
9Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. 11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Main Idea:
Discerning God’s Will for our lives is another topic that perplexes us. We all want to know what God would like us to do. Scripture is the normative authority in our understanding of God’s desire for us. There are two important things to keep in mind. First, God is always more concerned with who you are becoming rather than what you are doing. Second, if you aren’t already doing what you know you are supposed to be doing, God may not tell you what the next step is. Do we want to know God’s will so that we have another option on the table, or because we want to do it? We may not always be sure what God’s personal will is for our lives, but we can always be clear about his moral will. God has laid out his moral will for your life completely in scripture, so start there. There are some things we never have to pray about. “Should I move in with my boyfriend? Should I cheat on my taxes?” No. You don’t even have to ask God because He has already given an answer in scripture. The more you pursue God’s moral will, the more you will get to know Him. When God sees that you are ready to do what he says rather then just consider it, he’ll reveal His personal will for your life.
Know What: God is more interested in who you are becoming rather than what you are doing.
So What: The clearer your vision is in who God wants you to be, the easier your choices and decisions become.
Now What: If you want to know what to do next, do what you know to do now. Sometimes answers have to wait.
Discuss…
1. Do you have a question about your life that you are trying to discern God’s will on? Are you asking God because you just want another option to consider, or because you genuinely want to do God’s will? What if His will is different than yours?
2. Why do you think God is more interested with who you are becoming rather than what you are doing? What is the difference between the two? Do you see a connection between the two?
3. Do you have a clear picture of who and where you want to be in the future? Do you know anyone who is there now who may be able to offer you wisdom on how to get there?
4. Is there anything you are praying about that you already know God’s answer to because it is revealed in scripture (i.e. “God, should I lie to get that promotion?”)? What is keeping you from doing what God has commanded?
5. How does having a clear understanding of God’s big picture plan help us to make everyday decisions about our lives? How can we develop a clear understanding of this plan?
6. Is there anything you know God wants you to do (or stop doing) today, however mundane it may be? Do you believe that if you honor God in that today, your path will continue to get clearer tomorrow?
Pray
This week, ask God to reveal to you who He wants you to become. Every time you have a decision to make, ask yourself “What would the person God wants me to be do?” Pray for the grace to do what God is calling you to do now, and not worry about what comes next.
