Discerning God’s Will For Me
Nearly everyone has trouble discerning God’s will. When I wander in the valley (once again), it’s tempting to ask God to put me to sleep like He did Adam. I’d ask Him to put in a GPS (God Positioning System) so I never lose sight of Him.
Of course, I’m kidding but being out of God’s will and knowing you are, feels like you landed on the dark side of the moon. Obviously, to want God’s will you must be a follower of Christ.
Before I discerned God’s will, it felt like a dark fog surrounded me. God wasn’t at the forefront of my thoughts. In fact, on the gloomiest of days, I questioned my salvation because my life was far from victorious. Seeing God as the ultimate treasure put me in a position to discern God’s will.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Without exercising mind renewal, it’s harder to discover God’s will. Conform to the world and you’ll never shine for Jesus. Still, nonconformity doesn’t guarantee that you know God’s will. When the Holy Spirit transforms you, you’re closer to God’s specific plan of action for you. As a Christian, you already know God reveals you shouldn’t lie, kill, covet, or steal.
In this discerning God’s will sermon, I’ll help you learn how to live out His personalized will for your life. Review and implement these tips for discerning God’s will.
Discerning God’s Will: Follow His Blueprint
I put scripture in my heart and mind day after day not because God is a hard taskmaster lashing his whip to keep me in line.
No, His purpose is to bring His best to His children. To receive His best requires that I grow up spiritually (the Word helps do that) and pass necessary tests.
I eventually pass the humility, obedience, trust, and other tests. The thing is—we keep taking these tests as we mature in faith. Renewing my mind with scripture takes time and perseverance.
A star pupil under God’s tutorship was Moses. He didn’t start out knowing all there was to know about God. He spent 40 years on the back side of a mountain in order to accept God’s challenging ministry for him during the last third of his life.
Accept God’s Will
God’s will for Jesus was to die for mankind.
But from death came life not just for Jesus but for anyone who believes in Him as Savior. God wills that as Christians work for His kingdom they also use their talents and gifts. Some are entrepreneurs, teachers, leaders, housewives, truck drivers, scientists, etc. His will for every individual is perfect and tailored to them. Discerning God’s guidance includes a laid-out path for you to walk.
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you (Psalm 32:8).
Discerning God’s Will: Stay Close to Him to Find Out
Living a life apart from God on my own keeps me distanced from Him. You and I are closer to His will the more time we spend with Him. It makes sense that if we stay connected and don’t stray far, we’re in a better position to hear what He says.
Realize God’s Will Comes in Small Chunks
None of us can handle His will for us in one big revelatory swoop. We simply disconnect from overload. So, He takes us along at a pace that matches our spiritual journeys.
He may assign you a worldwide ministry or share a clever invention. Step by step, God takes you from small beginnings to accomplish great things in His kingdom.
God’s Will Matches His Character
When Christians delve into the Word—a lot—they find out who God is. After a while, they become so full of scripture that they know God’s will without much trouble. People assume discovering God’s will for them is hard. If you use spiritual disciplines consistently like the ones I’ve already mentioned, what comes out in abundance consistently is God’s will.
Discerning God’s Will to Experience Peace
That nagging, irritating feeling of being out of sync with God is a sure sign you stepped away from Him. Peace instantly drops inside your spirit when the decisions you make line up with God’s will. Come to think of it, joy kicks in too!
Stay on Your Knees
Prayer is key to catching on to how God leads. When God reveals His will for me, a strong desire outweighs anything else I’ve considered and repeatedly surfaces to the top. The Holy Spirit guides me and I don’t go forward (most of the time) until I hear from Him.
Learn how to listen instead of chatting away incessantly during prayer. You’ll be amazed when you shut up how quickly God floods your heart with ideas from heaven. Likewise, you start seeing your spiritual gifts.
Become Holy
A person who daily consecrates everything they do to God inevitably lives a holy life. Desires produced from holy living are nearly always in agreement with what God wants.
For instance, while walking from the Wal-Mart store to my car, I noticed a woman quickly turn into a parking space. The designated space was for disabled drivers. She didn’t have a disability tag hanging on her rear-view mirror or a notation on her car tag.
Her license plate “Psal112” made me chuckle. Parking in that space revealed her lawless heart. Here are a few verses from Psalm 112:
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. He is gracious and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man shows generous favor, and lends. He has given away freely.
Seems to me she missed God’s heart and a chance to display holiness. Plus, a disabled person probably needed the space, not her.
Final Thoughts About Discerning God’s Will
Fleshly passions always get in the way of disrupting God’s plan for you. You start seeking after things and not God. It takes diligence to seek Him with ALL your heart.
The slogan for the first website I had, Live The Word Ministries, was “From Religion to Relationship.” God wants to know each of His children intimately. You may start out in your relationship finding out about Him but then you learn to know Him personally.
Additionally, to discover God’s will—be obedient (do what He says), desire His will for you, think deliberately, and submit your life to Him. Memorize and meditate on discerning God’s will verses like these:
Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do (Ephesians 5:17).
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Amen!