Determining the Will of God, Pt. 2

In my last post, I began looking at discerning God’s will.  The initial step in discerning God’s will is understanding and obeying God’s commands.  The commands form the boundaries and the foundation for our faith walk.  We can be sure we are to evangelize, pray, tithe, etc.  We can also be sure that we shouldn’t lie, steal, cheat, etc.  But what about other decisions?  How do we know what to do when there isn’t a clear command or prohibition?

If our first question is, “What does the Word say?, then our next question should be, “Is it wise?.”  Wisdom is the art or skill of living a life that pleases God.  Wisdom not only recognizes the commands and prohibitions of Scripture, but it also recognizes the other principles in the Word.  As we learn how to apply the Word to life, that is to put it into practice, then we grow in wisdom.

The last question we must ask ourselves is “Do I want to do this?.” There is some prevailing wisdom that suggests that God only desires for us to do what displeases us.  That is to say, some people think that if you don’t want to do it that must mean God is going to make you do it.  As I have heard someone say, “Don’t pray that God wouldn’t send you to Africa or that is where he will send you.”

When we desire to do what pleases the Lord, he gives us the desires of our hearts.  In a decision, that doesn’t concern a specific command or principle that guides us, we have follow our sanctified hearts.  For example, we have two jobs that we have to choose between.  Neither job violates the law of God, and both jobs will provide you with the ability to provide for your family.  How do you decide?  This is the place where we have to ask ourselves, “Which one would I enjoy more?”

This simple, three-fold approach to determining the will of God, frees us to make decisions based on faith.  It makes us dependent upon the Word of God, and frees us to respond in faith.  In faith, we can know that what God has commanded us; he will enable us to do.  In faith, we can know that as we apply God’s Word to our lives, we will walk in wisdom.  By faith, we can know that stepping out in faith to glorify God, and enjoying the opportunities God sends our way. 

Determining the Will of God, Pt. 1

"My son, keep your father's commandments, and forsake not your mother's teaching.  Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.  When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.  For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of disciplines are the way of life" (Prov. 6:20-24, ESV).

How do determine to do the will of God?  This passage offers us a good starting point for understanding how to determine the will of God.  The first point we need to know when trying to determine the will of God is that we must know what God has commanded.

If we are to do the will of God, we must know what he has commanded us to do and what not to do.  If we know that God says, "Be fruitful and multiply," then we don't really need to question whether or not we need to live a fruitful life.  We have been commanded to be productive (and reproductive), so while we may have questions about how exactly that applies to our lives, we can have no doubts that it does apply to our lives.  When God says, "You shall not lie," then we can know that God does not will for us to lie.

Thus, knowledge of the commandments liberates us to do the right things.  The first step in doing God's will is doing what he has commanded.  We must do what he says.  As we walk in obedience, we will learn more of his will.  In the future, we will look at the next two steps of doing God's will: walking in wisdom, and following our (sanctified) hearts.