The Big Question

The question most asked through the years has been: ‘’How do I know the will of God?’’ Little sense and much nonsense are tossed around in Christian communities about God’s will. Some treat God’s will as some grand mystery discovered by mystics while others prefer to demystify God’s will by reducing it outside forces controlling our lives.  Believers are left wondering if anyone knows how to know God’s will. 

How sad because God’s will can be known.  God’s will is found in the dovetailing of four things: (1) The principles of God’s Word, (2) The peace of God’s Spirit, (3) The people of God’s church and (4) The providence of God’s sovereignty.  However, any of these taken in isolation may make shipwreck of life. 

Obviously God is never going to contradict His Word and or direct us to do something in opposition to it.  Our problem comes when we are anxious to do a certain thing and tear through the pages of Scripture looking for any text that appears to support whatever we desire to do.  Treating the Bible like a spiritual Ouija Board never works.

Part of the Spirit’s fruitage is peace and if I am walking in the Spirit I should have peace.  My problem may come when I look in the mirror, have a conversation with myself and leave convinced I’ve talked with God.  Emotions are suspect guides in this wasteland we call life.  What I think is peace may be the impulse of my impetuous spirit.

God put us in a world of billions, a family of some size and His church so we do not have to figure everything out in a vacuum.  We don’t need countless counselors but we do need some who are spiritually mature and vested in our success. What we learn early is that if we go to certain people we will get certain advice!  If I want to be told to do a specific thing I have my heart set on then I just go to the “counselors” who will tell me to do that thing and conveniently avoid any others.

The principles, peace and people of God can be warped to my wishes and so can providence. Our nearsighted perspective prevents us from seeing the God factor in our quandaries.  I may look at a situation and sigh, “That will never happen!”  I may review circumstances and exclaim, “This is done deal!”  But what appear to be eternal barriers to something fall like dominoes and what present themselves as open doors slam at our Lord’s command.  The same God opening doors closes them.

If all these approaches to God’s will are fraught with failure where do we turn?  Remember, it’s in the dovetailing of all four.  When I prayerfully and submissively seek the God’s will in Scripture, surrender to the Spirit’s guidance generating peace, listen attentively to savvy, spiritual confidants and observe the providences of God about me I can say safely, “This is the will of God.”

This post previously appeared as a column in the Daily Press.