HOW CAN I FIND GOD’S WILL?
For any earnest disciple of God, this is a relevant and common question. As he navigates through life with its many options, a disciple seeks to stick to God’s perfect will for him so that he may attain the summit of abundance that follows. To find God’s will, he needs both a solid background and the right tools; a brief description follows-
BACKGROUND– The best synopsis of the right framework or background that is necessary is found in Romans 12:1,2.
Living Sacrifice– When Paul urges disciples to offer their bodies as living sacrifices (v1), it refers to a life of surrender, wherein the disciple is committed to doing what God wants him to do. For any decision that he faces, this requires an equal willingness to go in either direction.
Non-conformity– The disciple is also asked to not be conformed to the world (v2). The world has a pattern and the peer pressure to conform to the pattern is tremendous. Not conforming would make one an odd man out before the world, but the right man in, to discern the will of God.
Renewed mind– As one grows in the knowledge of the word, the thinking pattern changes to one that mirrors the mind of God. This increasingly makes it possible for one to know what God wants and not just do it but also love walking in that path.
TOOLS– When the background is correct, the right tools can be applied to discern the will of God.
God’s word– There is no better way to know the will of God than to go to the word of God, which is revealed to us. A background knowledge, a daily input and application of the Bible can often point in the direction of God’s will.
Circumstances– God aids man in his journey to find his will by opening doors and closing doors, and when this happens, a flexibility to move in a different direction is required.
Inner witness– For a person who has the right framework for finding God’s will, the inner impression that God leaves within one’s spirit can be a powerful method to know what God wants of him.
People- Surrounding oneself with people who love God and love you is a safe way to obtain advice and pointers toward the will of God.
Dreams and visions– God continues to speak to people through dreams and visions and these need to be interpreted right to be able to apply the information received to one’s circumstance to arrive at God’s will.
Jesus used parables to speak to his audience with the result that while his disciples who were attuned to doing God’s will understood, others who were resistant, missed it altogether.
