Many believing men and women spend time wondering about and prayerfully considering what God's will for their lives might be. Some come to a crossroads, a point of decision in life, and agonize over which way to turn, lest they choose the wrong path and find themselves outside the will of God.
Surely it is good to be concerned about the will of God, but at what point does concern turn into anxiety? Does God really have one specific plan for each of our lives? If so, does He reveal the details of that will to us? And if the answer is yes, how does He reveal these things?
Believers often make use of several resources when seeking direction for the decisions they are faced with. Perhaps the most common of these are:
- Prayer
- Scripture
- Circumstances
- Christian Counsel
- Feelings/Impressions
At first glance, the list appears pretty decent. Each of these are valuable resources to consider; however, there must be proper balance among them. Far too often believers spend just a little time in prayer and in the Word, and a lot of time considering the circumstances and talking to other believers about their options. Sadly, in the end, many decisions are made based more on feelings/impressions than on Biblical truth.
The truth is, God has already provided believers with all that we need to live within His will. The Word of God is sufficient! Wayne Grudem discusses this truth in his book, "Systematic Theology". He writes:
"The sufficiency of Scripture... tells us that nothing is required of us by God that is not commanded in Scripture either explicitly or by implication. This reminds us that the focus of our search for God's will ought to be on Scripture, rather than on seeking guidance through prayer for changed circumstances or altered feelings or direct guidance from the Holy Spirit apart from Scripture...
The discovery of this great truth could bring tremendous joy and peace to the lives of thousands of Christians who, spending countless hours seeking God's will outside of Scripture, are often uncertain about whether they have found it. In fact, many Christians today have very little confidence in their ability to discover God's will with any degree of certainty. Thus, there is little striving to do God's will (for who can know it?) and little growth in holiness before God."
Through careful study of His Word, we may gain the wisdom necessary to make decisions and follow paths that are honoring to God and living in full obedience to Him. Though we may not find specific instructions or details (such as which college to attend or what type of career to pursue), we can be assured that we are in His will if we are living according to His Word. What freedom and assurance this brings to the life of the believer!
1 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
Psalm 119:1 "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!"
Labels: Bible/theology, books, quotes