Discerning God's Will For Your Life and Making Choices

One of the most confusing questions and burdens on most if not all Christian's hearts, is this idea or notion of how do I know what God's will is for "my" life? How do I discern the circumstances in my life and the open and closed doors and somehow find a balance between the faith in our good God I must exhibit but execute the wisdom that Scripture commands? I know that as a child of His I have struggled with this since my point of salvation and I still often times will wrestle with what exactly He is doing and which way I need to go. One thing I am for sure of is this...God is soverign. We read in Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." I am also confident of Romans 8:28 which reminds us that God works all things together for the purposes of His will and our good (for those who love Him and are His).

Many times there seems to be an emphasis on "feelings" when we are attempting to discern God's will for our life. We for some reason think that these feelings are from the Lord and we make them the driving force in many of the decisions we make. The problem is that our feelings are not to be trusted. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to think on things that are "TRUE" and because of that we have to go to the Word and to what our standard of Truth is to distinguish God's plan for our life and not what our emotions or feelings may or may not be guiding us to do. Our world today emphasizes letting your "heart" guide what you do and the problem is, all throughout Scripture we see that our hearts are wicked...Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

So as a Christian how do I execute Godly wisdom and faith all while I am attempting to discern God's will for my life? Well I can tell you this...it is much more "practical" than magical/mystical like most make it to be. Scripture makes the process much more simple than the complex way we seem to make it. God doesn't want to make his will a secret to those, He wants to make it clear to those who are seeking it and who are obedient. We must first understand that God makes it clear in Scripture as to what are things that are part of his will:
1. Saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9)
2. Spirit-filled (Ephesians 5:17-18)
3. Sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
4. Submissive (1 Peter 2:13-15)
5. Suffering ( Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:12)
Now if your life is aligned with this in Scripture than you can be sure that Psalm 37:4 is true, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." That now the desires that you are possessing are truly the sanctified desires God is placing on your heart.

So now we may ask well how do I make choices when I am faced with more than one "open door" or with two options etc. Well, discernment here is vital. John MacArthur says, "Unfortunately, discernment is an area where most Christians stumble. They exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God's Word, and they unwittingly engage in all kinds of unbiblical decision-making and behavior. In short, they are not armed to take a decidedly biblical stand against the onslaught of unbiblical thinking and attitudes that face them throughout their day. " 2 Peter 1:3 promises that God has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness. "Discernment -- the ability to think biblically about all areas of life -- is indispensable to an uncompromising life. It is incumbent upon the Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His precious truth! Without it, Christians are at risk of being "tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14).

When making a decision you must first seek the Word and measure the option with God's moral will that is revealed in Scripture. If there is conflict you can be sure that is not God's will that you would make that choice. Or if something within this decision would cause you to neglect something Scripture specifically commands you to do you can know that that too is a red flag to say no. Secondly, God-honoring decision making means executing good wisdom. That means that you are not hasty in making decisions but prayerful and considering. You will spend time in the Word and in prayer asking for wisdom. You will seek counsel from various sources of those who seek Him (it is always good to get unbias counsel from someone who has no vested intrest in your particular situation and from someone you are afraid to get counsel from), you also must look at all the options and think clearly and consider everything before making the decision. Lastly consider your own desires. If God is silent about the specific decision, and if one choice is not clearer or wiser than the other "then do what you want. You have the freedom to do so, and God sovereignly works out His plan through your desires (Psalm 37:4; Philippians 2:13). The above process presupposes that you are submitted to Christ and filled with the Spirit. Otherwise you won't be able to make biblical decisions, as sin blinds your ability to understand and apply God's Word to your life. However, if you do have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and are walking in the Spirit -- as opposed to the flesh -- you are free to make decisions so long as they don't violate God's revealed (moral) will. You shouldn't be concerned that your decisions will somehow derail God's sovereign will for you life, because He routinely works through your decisions to accomplish what He purposes. "(MacArthur)

So as 2009 is now here, we have more opportunities to live lives that reflect Him and that is shown through our following His direction and leading in our lives. Let us have faith in who He is and what He does and pray for wisdom and execute that in ALL we do!!

Start Fresh...Everyday

As the New Year rolls around again (and may I add that it seems that they seem to come quicker and quicker) I am once again reminded of the mercy of God. Let me explain...do you realize that as the whole world takes this time to refocus their lives so to speak, to make changes where changes need to be made, and to fix things that need fixing because for them it is their once a year "clean slate", we have that opportunity promised to us as Christians each day? In Lamentations 3:22-24 we read,
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
Each day the Lord provides us with a renewed strength, a renewed sense of who He is, and a new opportunity to live a life that is holy and pleasing before Him. We are reminded that His grace is sufficient in our weakness, that He is our joy and the source of it, and He is the strength we need for all that comes our way...His sacrifice on the cross should motivate us and demand our allegiance always and our holy living.

I was thinking about how this new year provides us with a clear opportunity to "start fresh" in areas where we have messed up or areas where we are lacking in the strength of the Lord, but I am also reminded that we don't need a new year for that. We need to make an effort to make each day a fresh start for the Lord. Our Christian life is not marked by perfection but it must be marked by progression in the right direction as He sanctifies us and makes us more like Him. So as we look forward to the wonderful things that will unfold to fulfill His plan in 2009, let us resolve ourselves to viewing each day as a fresh start to live more passionately, more righteously, and more set-apart for Him!!

Reflect on the Truth of Christmas

All across the country and much of the globe families and friends of all kinds will be joining together to celebrate a holiday that has been twisted and re-fashioned time and time again by each generation. It is during this time of year that expectations for happiness, joy, and peace are in the minds and hearts of most and unmet by many. Why has this holiday become a commercialized time to put on a smiley face and act as if everything is okay instead of a time to celebrate the Truth behind it all? Even Christians don't take the time to realize that they too have fallen prey to making Christmas something it should never be.

John MacArthur said, "If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: "God with us." We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!"

Think about that for a moment. We must re-focus our minds and remember that Christmas although it is not what the world presents, is also not what a lot of Christians make it to be either...it is much more than a baby in a manger. It is the realization that it is a baby, a divine King, the God of the universe coming to earth in human form to live a life that we could never live (that of perfection), to bear the wrath we as believers will never bear (the judgment, wrath of a holy God) so that in turn we may have the blessed fellowship with the God of all and live in eternal happiness and satisfaction with Him one day. What an amazing Truth that truly is! It is a free gift to all, but like any gift you must receive it!

As Christians, let today and tomorrow, be a time of thanksgiving and praise to the King of the Universe who made a way for us. Let us enjoy the blessings He has given us through the birth of His Son this Christmas and reflect upon the Truth of Christmas in the midst of it all.

Merry CHRISTmas!

God IS Sovereign

I was listening to a message today about the sovereignty of God by Pastor Mike Fabarez from Compass Bible Church. I was so encouraged and exhorted and thought I would expound upon exactly what I so desperately needed to be reminded of in prayer that it too may encourage you!!

GOD IS SOVEREIGN! We hear it all the time but what does sovereignty even mean? God retains ALL rights and exercises supreme and ultimate authority over everything and everyone. 1 Timothy 6: 13-16 talks about the fact that God is the creator of ALL and therefore He is sovereign. And that He is the KING OF KINGS and the LORD OF LORDS. For example the illustration between the potter and the clay. The potter gets to exercise all rights over the clay. God is one who retains all rights! The problem is many Christians do not like this because we don't like to "give our rights" so to speak to anyone.

GOD HAS A PLAN! He actually has an involved part in His creation and He is working His plan out. God decrees things...it is not the doing it is the planning. If God plans it, He does it! For example...Isaiah 14: 23-27, He says He is going to turn her (Babylon) into a place for owls and a swampland, He will sweep her away with the broom of destruction says Yaweh...He promises that he has surely planned and purposed this...the working out of the plan is the powerful authoritative involvement in history. And what happened? The Assyrian empire was defeated, look in history! Most Christians would agree here that God was sovereign but the moment we have to apply it to ourselves we have a hard time believing it. I can say He is sovereign over Babylon and Assyria, but is he really sovereign over my life? Didn't I have a part of this? Like Nebuchadnezzar you think you have a part but the truth is that it wasn't you, even the kings get their authority from God (Romans 13). So what about us and our salvation?? It is true even here. Look at Ephesians 1: 3-12...God had predestined and choose His kids from BEFORE the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (imputed righteousness). He choose you before you were born, before your grandparents were born, before the earth was created! This leaves no room for pride. To say it was your decision is to say that it was the decision of a deceased person coming back from the dead. You and God are not co-pilots! He is the ONLY pilot! Your will is inferior. Our will is contingent on God's will.

EVEN BAD THINGS ARE PART OF HIS GOOD PLAN! Don't we teach that to ourselves and others when we are suffering? Romans 8:28 right?! Joseph said to his brothers, you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Lamentations 3: 22-40, this is a negative passage where God responds to negative stuff. You know that this talks about the decrees and planning of God and that even the bad things He works together for the good. We have all heard the saying "why do bad things happen to good people?" THEY DON'T...bad things happen to bad people. The point is we are all dead in our transgressions and sins, the amazing thing is that God would choose any of us for salvation, not that God would not choose some because we are all bad people, no one is good no not one!

So understanding that God is sovereign and in control should bring comfort and rest to our souls in knowing that the God of the universe is ultimately working in and through our lives for his purposes despite our circumstances and all that seems to be going on around us.

He Has it Under Control

As many of my blogs have been in the past, this blog too is about trusting God. I truly believe that the majority of believers, if not all, struggle continually with the understanding of the sovereignty of God and the implications that come along with that. Trusting God is not a natural ability and even when the Spirit indwells us it is still a struggle and a battle within to really grasp the reality and to enable yourself to hold firmly to it.

You can read countless verses in Scripture and meditate on them and yet it seems to plague our hearts at times in our lives. I was trying to think when most of us would experience this difficulty in trusting God and without a doubt the times that have been the hardest to trust in the Lord with my whole heart are in times of uncertainty whether that be a large trial, tribulation, or even a time of not knowing all the answers. What is interesting is that during those times it seems that I also am the most inclined to depend fully on the Lord and run to Him. I seem to cling tightly to His promises and delve into the Word, especially the Old Testament to understand the character of our faithful and good God. And then I wonder, how does that work? How can I not trust in God's faithfulness but yet so badly desire to depend on Him. And I realize that it is in my Spirit that I am desiring to depend on the Lord because I know that ultimately He is in control and He is the ONLY one who is going to enable me to trust Him, yet in my flesh I so badly desire to somehow gain an answer and control the situation(s).

With all of that said, whenever I am in the Word or find a piece of Scripture that helps me remember the right perspective to possess in this area I am even more encouraged by who He is!! Here is just that in Hababakkuk 3:17-19 says,

Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.

What an amazing reminder this is for us as believers. We need to place our trust and our full dependence upon the Lord and in His faithfulness and realize that God's providential workings are for the ultimate good and glory of us and His kingdom! Let us rejoice in the Lord NO MATTER WHAT and find our strength in Him, for it is He who is ultimately in control of all. And He has it under control...we have nothing to worry about.

Servant's Hearts Like that of Christ

When we hear the word "servant" in today's culture we automatically revert back to the colonial times when almost every household had someone living in their home that took care of their every need. With the term comes some sort of derogatory meaning and a worthless type of image. So when we hear the word servant in Scripture we really don't know what to think. We know that we are commanded to "serve" others and to be "Servants" of the Lord but what does that really entail?

Well it first can be said that being a "servant" or "serving" does not come natural to the flesh. For those in the body who have been given the gift of service it is much more natural for you in the Spirit, but regardless it is not something that comes innately within humanity. In fact it goes contrary to everything that our flesh and body require or demand from us. Our bodies and our flesh want what we want and look out for #1...ourselves. Yet as the work of the Spirit begins the transforming process of sanctification we begin to see a radical change in the heart's desires and motivations.

Merriam Webster's dictionary describes a servant as, bound to service without wages. That means that as Christ's servant we are bound to serving Him without any expectation of reward. Although we are promised and given much eternal reward that is not to be our driving motivation. Being a servant to others means simply serving others. Loving others above yourself. Being a servant mimics Christ in His perfection. Looking at His life He was perfectly that. A perfect picture of putting others before oneself. Philippians 2:5-11 is a great passage in which we read, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."

Shane Barnard has a song entitled "Hearts of Servants" that expresses a picture of what our heart's desire should be in mimicking Christ's servants heart.
"Jesus, You are
Jesus, You were
Jesus, You will always be
a perfect servant to us
a perfect to death
even death on a cross

give us picture of Your face
show us the measure of Your grace
reveal the love of the Father
put within us tenderness
release from us all selfishness
we'll consider them better
we are Yours
give us hearts of servants"

Being a servant does not mean perfection, it simply means striving to be like Christ, seeking to glorify Him in all that you do. May we never look at our command to be servants as a burden or something far-fetched and out of reach but rather as something we are to strive for with the Lord's strength!