As I write this post, I feel a sense of urgency to do so. I’m not sure if it’s because we are coming into spring or if other factors are contributing but so many people around me right now are seeking God’s will on one thing or another. The concern I have is when they are sharing with me, it appears we far too often are making these decisions by what makes sense to us, what seems comfortable, or off an emotional impulse which can lead us to very rough situations or being ineffective.
So many times people tell me that they have made a big decision to do something, release something, or enter into a relationship with someone and the reasons make sense logically but leads to bad places.
I have seen people quit ministry because they didn’t enjoy it like they used to. Instead of accepting that ministry is work as much as it is a blessing, they assume God is releasing them instead of calling them to lean into Him to persevere.
I have seen people date or marry someone because they were tired of being single and didn’t want to be 40 and “alone”. They compare themselves to their friends who are married and end up in shallow and at times, abusive relationships.
I have even seen this lead to people questioning God because they thought they were following Him. However, they made a bad choice because they didn’t follow what the Bible says on seeking God’s will. Yet, they still want to blame God when they didn’t even really consult him beyond a passing prayer.
So, if you have a decision to make and you want God’s best for you, let me share with you Romans 12:2.“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
First, stop thinking with worldly logic. One of the main tricks is to get your personal wants and what others want out of the picture so they don’t cloud things up. Now, I’m not saying that advice from other mature Christians is not of value. A matter of fact, Psalms tells us that there is wisdom to seeking strong advisors who are God centered. However, many of us feel overwhelmed by what our friends, in-laws, book authors and others feel. Those who think like the world should not be your main voices into your seeking.
To transform your mind and have it renewed takes the Holy Spirit. Once you accept Jesus as leader and forgiver in your life and truly follow Him, you will get into His Word, adopt His heart, and follow His ways.Submitting the “American Dream” to the cross of Jesus Christ will allow you to see things from a Godly viewpoint instead of the world’s view.
Once this worldly clutter is removed, then you can test and discern what God’s will is. This takes a little work. This takes prayer, discussion, and study. This is not easy but is part of the process.
Most of us wish we could just get a note from God telling us what to do next but He wants us to be more mature than that. He desires for us to walk in faith, testing what His will is by seeing a particular option is good, acceptable, and perfect (according to God’s will and not your own).
However, many people I talk to make rash decisions. When it comes to “testing to discern”, they see it as resistance instead of holy work. They see it as God closing a door. They look at and follow circumstances leading to more bondage instead of freedom.
If God is leading, He will at times leads you to the uncomfortable, the challenging, and directions unexpected as He grows you into maturity. If you are in submission to that, He will lead you to some awesome places.
If it’s your leading, you will take the easy road, find leaders who make you feel comfortable, and become consumed by your circumstances. You will be ineffective and walk rocky paths.
As Paul shares with us in Colossians 3, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you“, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God“, and “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
God has better for you than you could possibly imagine. Stop limiting Him by restricting Him to your plans.
Pastor Tom Hypes
www.theshepherdsfellowship.org
About Tom Hypes
