God's Will

I used to think that God's will was some kind of abstract, mysterious force.  If I was lucky enough, I would stumble across it somewhere in my Christian life.  I remember a lot of emphasis being put on "finding God's will for my life" when I was a teenager in Sunday School.  I think the idea of it being mysterious came from the fact that no one ever seemed to be able to tell me what exactly God's will was!  I would ask my Sunday School teachers and I would receive an answer something like this...

"You'll know when you find it."


Anyone who know me, knows that I'm a pretty black and white person.  I like things cut and dry.  I like clear answers, not "you'll know when you find it."  That just does not help me at all!


Perhaps it was my own spiritual immaturity at the time, or perhaps it was that the people I was asking did not fully know how to answer my questions, but I struggled with this.  I really, really, REALLY wanted to know what God's will was.  I wanted to know for sure, so I could do it!  I prayed that He would reveal it to me.  Red letters across the sky would have been great :).  Totally unrealistic, but it still would have been great!  Since the red letters never came, I just continued to live my life, wondering in the back of my mind when I would find out what God's will really was, and being a little concerned that maybe I had missed something.  I wanted nothing more than to live my Christian life in God's will.  I hoped He would reveal it to me sooner rather than later, so I could start doing it.  I did not want to keep living outside of God's will!


I'll never forget the day I discovered what God's will for my life really was.  It came very differently from what I had expected.  There were no lightning bolts, no thunder claps, NO red letters :).  The answer was not what I had been expecting at all either.


It was when I was in Bible college.  Pastor Homan was preaching in college chapel.  His sermon was about living in God's will.  Yes, this was it!  The answer I was looking for.  Now I would really know what God's will was!  I was so excited.  You know what he said?  
God's will is for you to do your homework.  WHAT?  
God's will is for you to have your devotions at the scheduled time each morning (7:20am).  THAT'S IT?  
God's will is for you to be on time to your classes.  REALLY?


Then he went on to say, that God's will is simply being faithful to do what you know you need to do each and every day.  If you have a job, then God's will is for you to go to work.  If you are in school, then God's will is for you to do your homework.  If you have to play the piano on Sunday, then God's will is for you to play the piano.  God's will is simply being obedient and faithful in daily living.  When I was in Bible College Pastor Baker always used to say a lifetime in the will of God is made up of days spent in the will of God.  God's will is for you to tithe, attend church, pray, witness, and read His Word.  God's will is for you to cut the grass, clean your house, pay the bills, go to work, and raise your family.  God's will is doing what you are supposed to do.  If I am being faithful in the small things in my life, when it comes to the big things like marriage, where to live, and career choice, I can be assured God will lead me because I'm already giving Him control in everything else.


All along it was so simple!  I wondered why no one had explained this to me before.  Here I was looking for some magical thing, and it was actually so practical!  Now that's the kind of answer my black and white kind of thinking likes! Since I came to this understanding, I have much more peace in my life about God's will.  Right now God has placed me in North Bay.  It took some big decisions to get here, and some small ones as well.  Most of life is small decisions, but I can personally attest that when I surrender the small things to God, He makes the big things a lot easier.  


The Bible even gives a lot of specific things that are the will of God.  I won't write out all the verses, but here are a few that mention God's will. 
II Corinthians 8:5, Galatians 1:4, Colossians 4:12, I Thessalonians 4:3; 5:18, 
Hebrews 10:36, I Peter 2:15, I Peter 3:17; 4:19, I John 2:17.


I will continue on in my living in God's will... because now I know how :).


Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may be able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."


 Ephesians 6:6   "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."