Finding God’s Will.
An integral part of the human experience is the importance we place on places and things as giving us meaning in life. This is no less demonstrated than when we are seeking God’s will for our lives.
When seeking God’s will we would like answers to the questions; “Who does God want me to be…Where does God want me to Go…What does God want me to do? Noble questions indeed…but, if we do not get the answer to HOW to be in God’s will the answers to the Who, Where, and What questions is predominately a work of the flesh to satisfy religious expectations.
Let’s see if the Bible answers the How question?
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor;” (1 Thess. 4:3-4).
God’s will for our lives is our “SANTIFICATION” the working of purity in our hearts and it matters not the Who, Where or What is, because He can achieve our sanctification under any outward circumstance we may find ourselves in. The determining factor is the inward desire, is it the work of sanctification in our heart?
Regarding finding God’s will for our lives we often ask: where does God want me to go, what does He want me to be? Does He want me to be a missionary or maybe a minister? All the while He is alongside of us saying gently, “Let’s be in relationship together, let me fill your heart so you will live your life through me.” That is all…but that is EVERYTHING. We can do it under any circumstance. His supreme command is to LOVE HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART AND STRENGTH AND MIND AND SOUL AND TO LOVE PEOPLE AS HE LOVES THEM.
Without His complete love in our hearts for Him and for others, we could go to the ends of the earth, preach the gospel, cast out devils, heal the sick and give our lives on the mission field, only for it to be a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol.
On the other hand, if we really had His love fully operating in our hearts, we could sit still anywhere and bless the whole world by His working through us. God is in no way limited. WE are the limiting factor that hinders.
Unrestricted His river of love will freely flow from the uttermost to the gutter-most, because His love is as broad as the ocean and deep as the deepest sea. He wants not only to give it to us but for us us how to give it to people everywhere to everyone? Yes, everyone! Does He not allow the sun to shine on the just and the unjust? Has He not given His Son for all? Did Jesus not teach and heal and feed the thousands? Shall we presume to discriminate as to whom we will permit God to bless by their keeping of man-made religious rules and sacraments and by doing the do’s and don’ts of religion? This was the point at which the religious leaders turned in blinding rage against the Apostle Paul…when he made his announcement that he was going to take God’s love to the despised Gentiles (Acts 22:21, 22).
Organized religion still picks and chooses, but as someone has said; “God is looking for heralds with hearts ablaze with His fathomless, beautiful, unrestrained LOVE.”
If we are not sanctified as God wills, with His sanctification before we try to be the Who and go to the Where to do the What, it is just a fruitless religious exercise!
When seeking God’s will we would like answers to the questions; “Who does God want me to be…Where does God want me to Go…What does God want me to do? Noble questions indeed…but, if we do not get the answer to HOW to be in God’s will the answers to the Who, Where, and What questions is predominately a work of the flesh to satisfy religious expectations.
Let’s see if the Bible answers the How question?
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor;” (1 Thess. 4:3-4).
God’s will for our lives is our “SANTIFICATION” the working of purity in our hearts and it matters not the Who, Where or What is, because He can achieve our sanctification under any outward circumstance we may find ourselves in. The determining factor is the inward desire, is it the work of sanctification in our heart?
Regarding finding God’s will for our lives we often ask: where does God want me to go, what does He want me to be? Does He want me to be a missionary or maybe a minister? All the while He is alongside of us saying gently, “Let’s be in relationship together, let me fill your heart so you will live your life through me.” That is all…but that is EVERYTHING. We can do it under any circumstance. His supreme command is to LOVE HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART AND STRENGTH AND MIND AND SOUL AND TO LOVE PEOPLE AS HE LOVES THEM.
Without His complete love in our hearts for Him and for others, we could go to the ends of the earth, preach the gospel, cast out devils, heal the sick and give our lives on the mission field, only for it to be a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol.
On the other hand, if we really had His love fully operating in our hearts, we could sit still anywhere and bless the whole world by His working through us. God is in no way limited. WE are the limiting factor that hinders.
Unrestricted His river of love will freely flow from the uttermost to the gutter-most, because His love is as broad as the ocean and deep as the deepest sea. He wants not only to give it to us but for us us how to give it to people everywhere to everyone? Yes, everyone! Does He not allow the sun to shine on the just and the unjust? Has He not given His Son for all? Did Jesus not teach and heal and feed the thousands? Shall we presume to discriminate as to whom we will permit God to bless by their keeping of man-made religious rules and sacraments and by doing the do’s and don’ts of religion? This was the point at which the religious leaders turned in blinding rage against the Apostle Paul…when he made his announcement that he was going to take God’s love to the despised Gentiles (Acts 22:21, 22).
Organized religion still picks and chooses, but as someone has said; “God is looking for heralds with hearts ablaze with His fathomless, beautiful, unrestrained LOVE.”
If we are not sanctified as God wills, with His sanctification before we try to be the Who and go to the Where to do the What, it is just a fruitless religious exercise!
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