Especially His: How To Know What God Wants You To Do

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

How To Know What God Wants You To Do

How can you discover God's will about a decision that is on your heart? That is a question we all share. Here are twelve guidelines you can use whenever you are making decisions.

Keep in mind that emotions are frequently undependable and changeable (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, consider these in a priority arrangement. Start with number one. If the first one is clearly indicative of not doing something, then reconsider what you are wanting to do. God always wants the best for you! (Jeremiah 29:11-13

Scriptural Consistency - Is it consistent with the Bible? Everything you do should be consistent with the Bible, and nothing you are considering should contradict it.
Personal Potential - Do you have the ability to do it? God equips you for what He wants you to do. And you will probably have an ability in that area.
Personal Desire - Have you a desire to do it? God wants your desires. He can and does use your desires to direct you if they are directed to Him
Personal Consistency - Is it consistent with your life so far? God usually directs you to things that develop logically from where you are and have come from.
Christian Life - How close to Jesus are you at this moment? You should be in a close relationship with Jesus if you want God's guidance and leading.
Wise Counsel - What is the opinion of those you regard? Always take into consideration the wisdom of some Christians' who are really 'switched on'.
Personal Conviction - What is your 'gut feeling' on it? Quite often God will use your instinct, common sense and conscience to direct you.
Signposts - Have there been any indications/ signs? God may make it obvious to you by opening up or closing specific opportunities/ doors for you.
Timing - Do you need God's guidance now? Make decisions only when they need to be made. Don't worry about future decisions.
Post Decision - What are the consequences of doing it? If you do something, will the consequences be acceptable or desirable and clearly God's will?
Don't Do It" Scenario - What would happen if you don't do it? If nothing happens as a result of your not doing it, then it probably wasn't that critical.
Glorify God - Will it bring glory to God? Everything you do should glorify God. If by doing something you can't, then you shouldn't do it.

None of these things should be considered in isolation, or seen as a set of iron-fast rules. They are just some areas (elements of your decision-making process) to look at, and some questions to ask when trying to work out what God wants you to do.

The overriding rule is: If you put Jesus first in your thoughts, desires and actions, then His will will just happen! Remember God will probably not make His will known in only one way and at only one time. Be open.

Interestingly enough, nowhere in the Bible does it say for us to KNOW God's will, it just says to trust in Him and do it. You could apply these 12 guidelines for all things you do.

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Intro Statement of Faith

Why "Especially His"? It comes from a closing statement in the WeakDay Devotions that I have been writing nearly every morning since 1999. Each day I close with this:

"Take care with love, especially His"

Although it is shared with many others around the world now, it seems each day's entry is written specifically for me and for what I am experiencing because I am, as the closing says, "especially His".

Over my lifetime I have been writing and teaching Bible-based studies and wanted a way for these teachings to reach a wider audience -- and hopefully be my legacy to a future generation. We all benefit from fellowship and good teaching and motivation that comes through prayer and reading our Bibles!

On this site you will find a variety of Bible-based and Christ-focused materials. My prayer is that they will help you grow and help you as you help others grow.

Modern-day Evangelism

Something amazing I learned as a young follower of Jesus Christ was that most of the efforts of modern day evangelism have little lasting effect, other than exposing an increasing number of people to God's Word. And as it says in Isaiah 55:11:

"So Shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

Yet, many are not ready, have hard hearts, are surrounded by influencing family or peers and they slink away into the warmth and darkness of unexpected despair.

We Need Ways

I do not minimise the value of canned methods or fancy printed tracts or little gimmicks like colourful beads strung on a leather bracelet or origami-folded coloured cards. We all need to have a way to share our faith in a way we are comfortable using.

I myself, was brought to the Cross through a tract called "Peace With God" published by the Billy Grahame Evangelistic Organisation, and I have trained in most of the methodologies for sharing my faith with another. I even wrote one that focuses on how Jesus evangelised and is based on the four Gospels.

But while being discipled under a wonderful Navigator couple (Don and Elaine Lanier) I also learned a statistic that makes so much sense. It goes like this:

"If each one of us, won one person per year to Christ, and we spent that one year discipling them in the basics, every person in the world would hear the Gospel message of Salvation in just thirty-three years."

Earmarked from the Beginning

Our lives are drawn to deciding to or not to follow Jesus from the moment we are conceived. This journey is as unique as our DNA (yes I do know about identical twins).

The journey after we come to understand the grace of the Father is furthermore unique until we die and begin eternity with our heavenly Father.

Statement of Faith

There is more to come, but want you to know just the core basics of my beliefs.

1. I believe God made man in His image and loves him and desires fellowship with him (Genesis 1:26-27, I John 4:10, John 3:16).

2. I believe there is no other way to Eternal Salvation than through knowing I am helpless against my sin nature and choice of sin. (Romans 5:6-8; 6:23).

3. There is nothing I can do to be acceptable in Heaven (Romans 3:20).

4. The only possibility is to accept the freely-offered gift of Jesus Christ paying the price for my sins by His death and resurrection. (I Corinthians 15:3-6; John 14:6).

5. I believe that the gift of Salvation is just that a gift and it is a gift by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and because this is a gift of grace, there is nothing I can do to make God love me more than He does once I accepted His salvation and there is nothing I can do to make God love me less.

6. That my salvation is not transitory according to my behaviour and that He holds me firmly in the palm of His hand (John 10:29).

7. That from the moment of Salvation, my life is a personal journey of growth that He has designed just for me (Psalm 139).

8. That the Bible is His Word to help me grow daily. II Timothy 3:16. (The translation I use for all quotes, unless otherwise specified, is The New American Standard Bible, ©The Lockman Foundation.)