The will of God
Text:
Ephesians 2:10.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
A
Christian is one who has renounced his/her own will and submits to the will of
God for his/her life in all that he/she does.
The problem that
we all face is: “How do we find and discover the will of God for our lives?”
To live a daily walk in the perfect will of God for our lives, in all that we
do and say.
Look
at the life of Jesus, His life on earth is a perfect illustration of complete
agreement to the will of God. “Then I
said, “Behold, I have come, in the volume of the book it is written of Me, to
do Your will, O God” Hebrews 10:7. Jesus Christ came to earth to
fulfill God’s will.
Jesus actually
finished the work that the Father gave Him to do on earth, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which
You have given Me to do” John 17:4.
As Jesus was
appointed a special task and work to perform on earth, so each Christian is likewise
given a special task and calling. It is our responsibility to learn from the
Lord’s example, the plan for our own lives.
For, the will of God is who we are,
where we are, be it in our home, place of work, and in the Kingdom of God, etc.
We should also find the will of God in our partners, friends etc.
1. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR
EVERY LIFE.
There
is a divine blueprint for each one of God’s people:
A. This plan is suited to our
personalities, talents, needs, potentialities and location.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in
them” Ephesians 2:10.
B. God has ordained certain special tasks
or works for each individual Christian.
“Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us” Hebrews 12:1.
Paul said there
is a different race for each one of us to run, when he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race.” “I have kept the faith” 2 Timothy 4:7. He fulfilled
his ministry and his work was completed.
C. God wanted Paul to know the Lord’s
will for his life.
“Then he said, “The God of our fathers has chosen
you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice
of His mouth” Acts 22:14
D. God’s plan for you is very personal.
It is just for you.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you
should go; I will guide you with My eye” Psalm 32:8.
E. God’s plan for you is very detailed.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
and He delights in his way” Psalm 37:23. God does
not always reveal the distant future, but step by step.
F. God’s plan for you is continuous.
“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in
drought, and strengthen your bones;
you shall be like a watered garden,
and like a spring of water, whose waters
do not fail” Isaiah 58:11.
G. God’s plan for you is definite and
special.
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This
is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” Isaiah 30:21. The Lord guides us by
His Spirit through the Word.
H. God wants us to enquire about His
plan for our lives.
“Cause me to hear Your loving kindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I
should walk, for I lift up my
soul to You” Psalm 143:8.
God wants us to
be much in prayer for the daily details.
The will of God is always good, acceptable and perfect for each believer.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God” Romans 12:2.
2. GOD’S PLAN IS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR EVERY LIFE.
When we find our purpose in God, we
become more effective, so we need to know our purpose, for God as give set
purposes for all of us. When we have found our purpose, we become more first-rate
in our goals, “Even a child is known by
his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right” Proverbs 20:11.
For
when we have found our purposes and set our goals, we will usefully manager our
lives and time. God as a purpose for us all to do, and not what others
expect us to do. In the example of Acts
6:1-7, the disciples were expected to do everything, but their calling and
purpose was to pray and preach the Word. See:
A. Adam had his
purpose to walk with God.
B. Eve had her
purpose to be the mother of all mankind.
C. Abraham had his
purpose to be the father of a great nation.
D. David had his
purpose to be the father of the lineage of Jesus.
E. John had his
purpose to preach repentance.
F. Andrew and Peter
had their purpose to be fishers of men.
So, knowing our purpose puts us in
the place where God wants us to be. Do not get tied down by labels and
titles:
I
preach the Gospel, so I must be a pastor.
I
lay on tables, so I must be a deacon, etc.
The main thing is what is our testimony in
God. My purpose is what I do, and not the name I carry to do it. So
often Christians fail to do the will and purpose of God for their lives because
they are chasing after titles only. It is a sad fact that it is possible to
miss the plan of God for our lives, by our selfish and stubborn ways to do our
own thing, this is a tragic mistake and to be avoided.
3. METHODS OF GUIDANCE FOR EVERY LIFE.
The question is often asked, “How
does God reveal His will to the seeking individual?”
The answer is always the same, “God is
sovereign and does not work according to a set pattern, for He deals with each
person differently.” Sometimes God reveals His will through opportunities,
circumstances, the prayers and support of others, the advice of godly friends,
pastoral care, etc. Plus, your own valuation of your abilities, and
personal feelings.
Let us look at some ways God uses.
A.
God often guides us through His Word. From verses of Scripture that speak
loudly to us.
So, you need to read and know the Word of
God and you will soon find His will and purpose for your life. Because the Lord
can bring various portions to your mind. Note God’s ways will never be different
to the Word of God.
B.
By inner conviction that is given by the Spirit of God:
“However,
when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth;
for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will
speak; and He will tell you things to come” John 16:13.
“As
they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate
to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” Acts 13:2.
Guidance comes by a certain course of
actions, more so as we pray about our actions. Do I do things by the voice of
my own desires or is it’s what God wants me to do?
C.
By circumstances.
God can by circumstances close one
door and open another.
Nothing happens to the child of God by accident. For each day is planned by the
God. So, we can accept the circumstances as guideposts in the direction of His
leading. Circumstances can also put a stop turning to wrong directions.
D.
God sometimes guides us by visions or dreams.
Like Paul in “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia Macedonia
Sometimes we may have a “word” spoken over
us and this can encourage us.
E.
By putting out a fleece:
“Look,
I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the
fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will
save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” And it was so. When he rose early
the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the
fleece, a bowlful of water” Judges 6:37-38.
Like Gideon did, when he prayed that if certain
things happened, this way or that, then the Lord's will would be fitting.
4. STUMBLING BLOCKS TO FINDING GOD HAVE WILL
AND PURPOSE.
A.
Do not confuse “tent making” with your overall purpose.
Someone wanted to give up their full-time
paid job, because they believed that the Lord had called them to preach for Him.
They mistook their tent making “job” with their purpose in God. Thank God
someone is willing to pay us, to support our calling and purpose in God.
We are all “full-time workers” for the
Kingdom of God
B.
Do not underestimate your ability to work hard:
“But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than
they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” 1 Corinthians 15:10.
Paul preached till midnight , then a boy fell out of the window,
after he recovered, Paul carried on preaching till dawn. Whatever our purpose is
in Christ, it will take hard work to do it.
John Wesley said in his 72 year, “I am a
stronger man today, then 30 years ago, and I still arise at 4 am every day to meet with the Lord.” The Wesley
brothers travelled thousands of miles on horse back, preached thousands of
sermons, and wrote over 9,000 hymns. Not bad for one's lifetime, what are you
expecting to do for the Lord?
C.
Pursuing the purpose you want or hope to have:
“But
now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” 1
Corinthians 12:18.
Do not be led astray by doing something
you are not called to do in the Lord. Because it will be fruitless.
D.
Focusing on the purpose, instead of on God:
Your purpose in God must put you closer to
God. Men often fail by worshipping the call, and not worshipping the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
Remember that the Lord wants to give
you both the master plan and the minute by minute details of your life. So,
wait patiently for Him and He will reveal them day by day. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires
of your heart” Psalm 37:4.
My last quote: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it
to pass” Psalm 37:5.
