Knowing God's Will, Pt. 1

How do you discover God’s will for your life? How can you know the decisions you are making are the right ones? When you are in doubt about what God wants you to do, what do you do? These questions and others like them have plagued believers throughout the history of Christianity. As a result, believers many times have made bad mistakes. Some of the things Christians have done through the ages in the name of Christ have ended tragically. Many times, the cause of Christ has been hurt by the actions of those who claim to love Jesus.

Much of what James discussed had to do with making godly, biblical decisions. Those who heard James’s message first were doing some things wholly inconsistent with God’s Word. James was troubled by their actions because what they were doing was creating a bad impression about God in the minds of unbelievers. When those “outside” see us on the “inside” fighting and bickering, what are they to think? When we are known by our friends and acquaintances as a Christian, what do they think of us and Christianity if no difference exists between the way we live and how they live?

For many of us, though, the issue of God’s will has to do more with things such as getting married, deciding on a career, how we use our finances, and so on. The problem with this dilemma is the effects we experience when we act without having a clear idea of what God would have us do.

When we make decisions, we will experience consequences, both good and bad. If we make a poor decision, God will expect us to bear the consequences while working our way through our decision to a better end. We must remember, God will not punish us if we decide wrongly. Neither will he excuse us for what we have done. He expects us to be both responsible and accountable. What that means is he expects us to not blame someone else or some circumstance for what we have done.

Being responsible for our decisions means we will bear the consequences in a mature way. We will not whine or quit. We will carry out our decisions in a manner befitting one who is a follower of Jesus. Being accountable means we will take responsibility for what we have done and not blame others.

What if we make an immoral decision? How do we handle the aftermath of being disobedient to God. Do we continue on in the mess we created. No. Being responsible means we will find a mature, biblical solution. We will confess our failure and seek a proper solution. We must be adult in how we handle the decisions we make.

But, how do we avoid doing the wrong thing. Praying about our choices goes without saying. Sometimes, though, God does not give us a clear answer. Why does God not “speak” to us and gives us a clear answer sometimes? Because more than prayer is required to know God’s will. We need the Bible.

Many of the issues we face in our world today, though, are not addressed directly in the Bible. For instance, fetal-cell research, abortion and same-sex marriage are not discussed in an overt way in Scripture. Yet, we are expected to take a position on these issues. How do we know what we should believe?

The answer to that question is found, paradoxically, in the Bible. We can come to informed decisions about all of life’s issues only by having a consistent discipline of personal Bible study. As we study on a regular basis, we are then able to take all the truths we learn and draw from them answers about life’s issues. For instance, 1 Corinthians 10:31 states, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” If we are making a relationship or career decision, we should ask ourselves how what we decide will reflect positively on God.

Whatever you do, do so in a manner in which God will be honored. Some careers would harm irreparably our reputation and would bring shame to the name of God. Some relationships can bring harm into our lives. If we associate with someone who is not a believer, we will be expected by them to do things clearly inconsistent with Scripture.

Making the right decision, the one consistent with God’s will for our lives, is not a hard thing to do. Knowing God’s will may require some thought, but in the end, God will show us the right way to go. Remember what James said: “But if any of you lacks wisdom (the knowledge of God’s will), let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it (wisdom) will be given to him.”

Pray, study the Bible and talk to an experienced, mature believer. Doing so will lead you to a clear understanding of God’s plan for your life.