Finding God’s Will Is an Attitude Issue
Bible Reading: Jeremiah 33:3
Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here. Jeremiah 33:3
PSSST … here’s a hot secret to living a meaningful life. All you have to do is figure out God’s will for your life. Then all your worries are over.
Easier said than done, you say? You might know God has a plan for your life, but do you have a clue how to find out what it is?
God wants to show you what he wants. But it’s easy to get stuck in several wrong attitudes about God’s will. Get mired in any of these, and you won’t escape your confusion about God’s will for the important decisions in your life:
God’s will is hidden and I have to find it. Some students think that discovering God’s will is like hunting for Easter eggs. God hides his answers to your questions and if you can’t find them, too bad! That attitude isn’t what the Bible shows about God. He eagerly reveals his will to you if you’re willing to receive it.
I don’t really want to know God’s will because I might not like it. Some students are afraid God will tell them to marry someone they don’t love or spend their lives doing something they don’t want to do-like being a missionary in a remote jungle. But is God looking to make you miserable? No. According to Romans 8:32, he wants to graciously give you all things that will fulfill your deepest desires.
I only want to do part of God’s will. Students with this attitude might never know God’s will. It’s like trying to drive a car by stepping on the gas and the brake at the same time. One moment you’re saying, “Lord, show me your will,” and the next moment, “I don’t want to do that part of your will.” If you don’t follow through with what God shows you to do today, why should he show you what to do tomorrow? Commit to do the total will of God.
I want to know God’s will so I can decide whether or not I want to do it. Seeking God’s will isn’t like shopping for a new car. You can’t test -drive his will and then decide if you want to buy it. You either want God’s will or you don’t. You will never really know God’s will until you desire it more than your own.
Put those faulty attitudes side-by-side with the appropriate attitude: I am willing to do God’s will, whatever it is. The only attitude God will reward is a willingness to accept God’s will even before you know it. It’s the attitude expressed by the psalmist who wrote, “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart” (Psalm 40:8). God is eager to share his plans and counsel with you-if you are eager to obey.
REFLECT: Do you need to confess to God one or more of those less-than-appropriate attitudes toward finding his will?
PRAY: Spend a few moments telling God that you want his will for your life.