finding God's will for your life
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
While I write this, decisions that need to be made steadily approach. What college do I go to? What do I major in? Where do I move? How will I freaking survive since all I know how to cook is Ramen noodles and PB&Js??? The list goes on and on.
It's overwhelming, and my little brain wants to give out every time I think about what my future holds. I often find myself asking, "God, what is your will for my life? What do I do? Which path do I take?"
Constantly asking God. Rarely listening.
Recently, however, God must have gotten tired of my deaf ears because He smacked me with a bit of truth that sent me reeling.
I don't have to find God's will for my life because it was never lost. (Tweet this!)
The Bible says that it is His will for me to:
pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. It literally says "this is God's will for you!")
read & study the Word (Joshua 1:8)
help the needy (Deuteronomy 15:11)
share Jesus & your testimony with others (Psalm 96:3)
make disciples (Matthew 28:19)
love others well (John 13:34)
worship God (Romans 12:1-2)
thank God (Philippians 4:6-7)
fear God (Deuteronomy 13:4)
be a servant (1 Peter 4:10)
defend the defenseless (Proverbs 31:8-9)
stand firm in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
HIS WILL FOR MY LIFE IS RIGHT THERE ON THE PAGES OF HIS WORD!
I can hear Him saying to me, "HELLLOOOOOOO, KEELA, WAKE UP! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU MY WILL BEFORE YOU GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND DO IT???"
So here's what I say to you: HELLOOOOOO, AMIGA, WAKE UP! HOW MANY TIMES MUST GOD TELL YOU HIS WILL BEFORE YOU GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND DO IT??? (Tweet this!)
Or, if you want it put in nicer, more ladylike terms....If God has already made it clear what He wants me to do, why the heck am I not doing it? Friend, why aren't you? (Tweet this!)
Also, if God has already told you His will and you haven't done it yet, why in the world of purple pixies would He give you something else to do? Do what He's told you first, then He'll give you something else.
I want you to notice that Proverbs 3:6 is a PROMISE. If you submit to His will, He WILL direct your steps. If you do His will right where you are, He WILL show you His will when you get "there," wherever "there" is. If you follow Him right now, He WILL lead you later, too. (Tweet this!)
This is a promise that you can stand on and build your life on. This is a promise that you can trust in, if you dare to completely trust God with your life.
Are you getting it?
It was never about finding His will but obeying His will.
His will was never lost, friend. You just weren't listening. (Sorry for the tough-love, but it needs to be said.)
It was never about obeying His will in just the "big" things but obeying His will in the seemingly small things. (Tweet this!)
Let's look at it this way. Say you're walking a mile. Are you going to cover that mile in one step? No (unless you're Helen Parr from The Incredibles). You're going to take a bunch of small steps to finally get to where you need to be. In the same way, you have to obey God's will in the "small" things of life before you can get to the big things. And the best part? While you're walking that mile, God is walking it, too.
It was never about His will for your life, but centering your life around his will. (tweet this!)
It's all about Him. All about His plans and His wants and His commands. Not yours. It's all for His glory, centered around His plans, focused on His praise.
"The question shouldn't be: what is God's will for my life? Instead, the question should be: what is God's will for the world and how can I align my life with His will?" (David Platt)
When making decisions, big or small, the choice should hang on one defining question: which path will give God the most glory and praise? (tweet this!)
So, dear one, if you're asking God to show you His will for your life, stop. Really, just stop. And listen to what He has already told you. He has already given you steps to take; it's time to walk it out and believe that He'll show you where to go as you walk alongside Him.
Challenge:
Ask God to show you how you can start doing His will and follow Him today, right where you are. And then DO IT! Oh, yeah, and trust that He'll lead you wherever you need to go.
Prayer:
My King, Emmanuel, holy is your faithful and promise-keeping name. Thank you for the gift of your Word, for showing us how to please you, for making it clear how we can succeed in life, and for always answering your promises. I confess that I am often selfish and ignorant when it comes to making decisions, and I ask for your forgiveness with that. Help me be you-focused instead of me-focused. Help me do your will right here, right now. Show me how I can give you glory and do your will right where I am, and, Holy Spirit, help me actually do it. For reals. I want to give you glory and bring you praise. I want more of you. I want to obey you. Help me do that, Lord, and trust that you will lead me. Lead me in your will, and give me peace until you lead me to that place. Thank you. To you be the glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.
*some of my points in this devotional come from this sermon by David Platt
