What Is God's Will?
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
-- Psalm 16:7
What is God's will for your life? We know He wants us to walk in His ways. We know He wants us to love Him about all else and to love our neighbor as our self. But what about the specifics of your life?
Oh, yes. That gets a little trickier, doesn't it? It always amazes me how clearly we can see what other folks should be doing but we are blind when it comes to our own path. We get so caught up in our own wishes, and our own fears, that we can't see clearly.
The solution? Spend more time in the Word, opening your heart and mind to actually hear the Holy Spirit. Seek God's counsel. Then act accordingly.
Yeah. That's the hard part. Stepping out in faith. I wonder how many times we've told ourselves we are in God's will when the truth is it's just so much easier to stay where we are than to take a leap into something new?
Think of the women, and men, who stay in violent relationships rather than seek freedom. They tell themselves God wants them to honor their marriage vows, even when their very lives are at risk. It seems insane to us but sometimes the unknown is scarier than what we know. We have learned to cope where we are. Could we cope with a different reality?
Or look at those who stay in low-paying, dead end jobs. They keep talking about getting something better but they don't even try. Why? Because they've become comfortable where they are. They don't want to take a risk that it might not work out. But what if it did? Well, that's scary too.
God's will differs for each of us. It also changes through the months and years that make up our lives. When we seek God's will -- and we all should do so before we take action -- then we must be willing to do what He says. Even when it's scary. Maybe especially when it's scary.
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