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The Will of God
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
Ephesians 6:5–8
Over the years, one of the most common questions I get asked is from people who want to know what God’s will is for their lives. The reality is that all of us need guidance and direction, and that is why God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help apply it to our circumstances and decisions. No one has ever gone wrong by following what the Bible actually says. That is because it is an infallible guide for life, containing all that we need to please God: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
As we search for God’s purpose in individual matters, we must never forget that first and foremost, the will of God is about our hearts more than our actions. The focus of what God looks for in our lives is the heart. If the heart is where it should be, then we will not find it difficult to follow God’s directions in our decisions. But as Robert Robinson put it in the song “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” our hearts are “prone to wander.” The first question we should ask when facing a decision is not what God’s will is, but whether our heart is committed to doing God’s will.
Ephesians 6:5–8
Over the years, one of the most common questions I get asked is from people who want to know what God’s will is for their lives. The reality is that all of us need guidance and direction, and that is why God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help apply it to our circumstances and decisions. No one has ever gone wrong by following what the Bible actually says. That is because it is an infallible guide for life, containing all that we need to please God: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
As we search for God’s purpose in individual matters, we must never forget that first and foremost, the will of God is about our hearts more than our actions. The focus of what God looks for in our lives is the heart. If the heart is where it should be, then we will not find it difficult to follow God’s directions in our decisions. But as Robert Robinson put it in the song “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” our hearts are “prone to wander.” The first question we should ask when facing a decision is not what God’s will is, but whether our heart is committed to doing God’s will.
Today’s Growth Principle:
It is impossible to live in God’s will unless our hearts are first devoted to Him above all else.
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