How to find God's will

“So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.” (Joshua 3:14-16)

So many people are afraid to do anything because they might miss the will of God. They pray and pray and He never seems to answer.

What's going on?

Is finding the will of God like reading a map, make a wrong turn and you can end up in a dead-end? Or is it like a big broad highway with guardrails on it?  I say it's like the latter, there's less of a penalty in life for making well-intentioned mistakes than we realize. We need to ease up on ourselves, take time to pray, and then take action. If your heart is right, there is no wrong. When trying to figure out the will of God, if your heart is right, it's hard to mess up.

Here's the deal. On so many issues in life, God has already expressed His opinion. Sometimes He's given us a clear command as in "love one another," (See John 13:34) or “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (See Matthew 28:19)  Other times He would really prefer that we put ourselves in motion and then allow Him to help us course-correct as we go along.  Just as the Israelites did when they waited only long enough for the priests to put their foot in the Jordan, the waters parted, and the Israelites crossed over.  The Bible tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)     

When my wife and I first set foot on the plane for India in 2003, we did so trusting in God’s goodness as we moved out in faith, believing we were in His will.  We felt we were being totally committed to an unknowable future.  It was way outside the comfort zone as we tried to be radically obedient to God.  We thought it would be easier, more comfortable, even more peaceful, but this took us nose-to-nose with our fear.  We were so close to it, we could see the pores on its face.

I was reflecting on the face of fear this morning in prayer and I felt God saying, “Your fear will not serve you where I want to take you.”  I realized I would have never seen it if I hadn't committed to an unknowable future."  You can take bigger risks with God than you may be taking.  He's just waiting for you to test His goodness.

If you need some kind of a formula, these steps by George Mueller are as good as you'll find:

1) Get your heart right with God.  This is 90% of the task of finding God's will in an issue. (See Psalm 51:10)

2) Listen to the Spirit and check the Bible. (See 1 John 4:1)

3) Pay attention to how He may be speaking through circumstances. (See Jeremiah 29:11)

4) Ask God to show you His will. (See Psalm 25:4-5; 9)

5) If your mind is at peace after several petitions, take action. (Isaiah 26:3)

If we are walking closely with the Lord and truly desiring His will for our lives, God will place His desires in our hearts. The key is wanting God’s will, not our own. “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Counting the Cost?

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)

It’s so easy to get into something without understanding the full implications.  We do it all the time. Someone asks, “Can you help?” and we quickly say “Yes.”  But only hours into the project we realize that this effort will take much more energy and time than we are able to give it.

This can happen for many reasons.  Sometimes we’re duped into thinking that it is easier than it really is; other times we simply don’t ask the right questions; and still other times we are overly optimistic about our ability to commit.  No matter what the reason, we find ourselves in a position of going back on our word and leaving a ministry task unfinished.

Jesus was always clear about the cost.  He turned away countless people from service by making the cost of following Him blatantly clear.  He didn’t do this because He was mean or unwilling to help people grow into their service.  Instead, He wanted people to consider the true cost of their service. Do we do the same in our outreach efforts?  So many times we are so desperate for new volunteers that we try to market the opportunity and make it as palatable as possible.  Are we doing these new servants any favors?  Are we helping them to count the cost in their service?

Suppose you learned that you had been given an all-expense-paid condo on a beach in Tahiti, complete with airfare, a car, food, and a maid.  You could brag about your new lifestyle, plan for it, and dream about it.  But until you pack up and leave your current home, the new life is never really yours.  You cannot live in Tahiti and your current hometown at the same time.  

Many people approach Christianity the same way.  They love the idea of eternal life, escaping hell, and having Jesus at their beck and call.  But they are not willing to leave the life they now live. Their desires, lifestyle, and sinful habits are too precious to them. Their lives may exhibit a token change, starting to attend church or giving up a major sin, but they want to retain ownership of everything else. 

We cannot earn salvation by lifestyle change or any other good deed. (See Ephesians 2:8-9)  But when we choose to follow Christ, we are releasing control of our lives.  If we are going to be disciples of Christ, we must first count the cost of following Him.

 Are you willing to follow God even though the road may be long and hard?