Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
--Psalm 37:4
I’d like to cut through the mystery and confusion about God’s will today and remind you that there are specific ways you can discover God’s will for your life.
If you’re facing a major decision, personal dilemma, or relational challenge, then let me share with you a five-point checklist you can use.
First, is what you’re doing or thinking about doing consistent with the Scriptures? God will never ask you to do anything that is inconsistent with what He says in His Word.
Secondly, have you prayed about it faithfully? As today’s verse as says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I believe if you stay in communion and union with Christ in prayer, God will implant in your heart the right desires!
Thirdly, have you sought the wisdom of godly friends and counselors? Proverbs 11:14 tells us that in “an abundance of counselors there is safety.” If you’re facing a big decision in life right now, be sure to seek counsel from godly friends… people who are passionately pursuing Christ and who understand the Scriptures.
Number four, what do the circumstances surrounding your decision look like? Are they lining up with what God wants you to do? Does it look like is opening a door… or is He shutting a door? Pay attention to your circumstances.
And finally, number five, if you’re dealing with a relational challenge… and you’re not sure how or if to respond, what is the most loving thing to do? Sometimes the most loving thing to do is to keep your mouth shut. But sometimes, the most loving thing to do is to stand up and say, “Friend, I love you, but this isn’t right… it doesn’t line up with what God tells us to do in His Word.”
I trust that you will run through this checklist whenever you’re facing a decision or relational challenge. Determine what God wants you to do and then by faith, do it with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength!
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Acts 15:24–26
In 1997, Bob Simmons was riding high. He had just led the Oklahoma State football team to their first winning season in ten years. But a serious kidney problem threatened to derail his career, and perhaps even end his life. In a very rare case, his wife Linda was a perfect match and able to serve as an organ donor. As a nurse, she understood the risks and complications that donating a kidney could pose, but after much prayer, the couple agreed that she would give her husband a kidney. Just before they were separated to go into surgery, she reached over and took her husband’s hand and told him things were going to be fine—and the surgery was a success. Her love for her husband led Linda Simmons to risk her own life to save his.
The love that we have for God is not something we create on our own, but rather a response to His love first extended to us. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The result of that love should be a life that is lived for His glory, instead of one that is focused on self. The committed Christian life is not a guarantee against ever experiencing hardship and suffering. In fact, it is the opposite. There will always be those who oppose God’s work and we may be called on to face great difficulty and persecution. We should pay that price willingly.
Today’s Growth Principle:
God’s grace and love extended to us is worthy of any sacrifice we may be called on to make for Him.
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