Want to know God’s will? Here are two questions to ask yourself.
I know. You’re probably thinking, “I’m not looking for more questions. I want ANSWERS!”
I get it. I’ve been there.
Heck, I’m there RIGHT NOW looking for God’s will in certain situations. One of those being this bazaar place of corona-madness we all find ourselves sucked into like some viral vortex.
But trust me, asking these two questions will help you (and me) discover God’s will for our lives, because answering them will reveal whether we really want God’s will to happen or whether we actually want God to make our will happen.
In other words, these two questions are perspective changing. Because if you want to understand someone’s will, it helps to first understand them better. And though God is beyond our understanding, these questions will help us see life from His perspective.
Question #1: Do I want to store up treasures in heaven or here on earth?
Consider the dilemma in front of you right now. Do your responses reveal that your hope is in the wealth God holds in reserve for you in eternity, or that your desire is to secure what you can get right here, right now?
Consider as you meditate on the following words of Jesus. (In other words, don’t just read these verses and move on. Soak in them. Read them aloud, repetitively, and prayerfully.)
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
PRINCIPLE #1: Every decision is a value decision.
Every decision we make, every action we take, every goal we strive for reveals what we value.
The values of our God are determined by His desires for us; namely that we draw closer to Him, imitate Him, and share Him with others. He wants to make us faithful, gracious, disciplined, and humble.
But we generally want to be lesser things like successful, admired, comfortable, and influential. Indeed, we seldom consider such things “lesser things.” But God does. That said…
If what we treasure is primarily the material and temporal things of this world, we will find it almost impossible to find God’s will, because what we’re really wanting isn’t God’s will at all.
We’re asking God to grant the treasures we want, instead of opening our hands to receive the treasures He wants to give us. (As if the treasures God wants to give us don’t compare to what we want.)
Do you suspect you may be more concerned about getting what you can right now? If so, confess that reality to God and ask Him to help you trust His eternal priorities as you seek His will. And when you do, you will be walking in His will already.
Question #2: Am I filling my life with light or darkness?
How can you hope to make the right decision when you can’t even see?
To which, you might counter, “Well yeah, I know I can’t see! That’s why I’m asking God to guide me! That’s why I’m reading this post! I want to know His will!” But…
What if God has given you eyes to see His will, but you’re not using them?
(I mean, I know we’re all wearing face coverings right now before entering the grocery store, but does anyone put on a blindfold before crossing a busy freeway?)
Or, worse, what if God has given you eyes to see, but you’re actually misusing them?
Imagine if you were to apply a toxic ointment to your eyes each day, which slowly over time, blurred your vision more and more until it ultimately blinded you altogether? If you were to do something so ridiculous, you couldn’t expect to see clearly enough to even take the next step in front of you; much less see any dangers that lay along the path ahead. And forget about seeing the prize at the end of your journey!
With that in mind, look at the choices before you right now and then meditate on what Jesus says here:
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! – Matthew 6:22-23 (ESV)
PRINCIPLE #2: Every decision is a vision decision.
So what have your eyes been filling your body and mind with lately? What have you been watching on Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, or Amazon Prime? And where do your eyes stray when you’re online… and alone?
We get so frustrated when God won’t make His will crystal clear to us. Yet many times we are the ones who make God’s will impossible to find. In Luke’s gospel he quotes the same words about our eye being the lamp of our body, but in his account Jesus adds this warning: “Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.“
But are we? Are we being careful? Or are we being careless?
Jesus clarifies, that when we fill our bodies (and minds) with media which pollutes both, we can’t even expect to recognize the truth, beauty, and sovereignty of God, evident all around us. And we certainly can’t expect to discern His will in a particular dilemma we’re facing.
Is it possible your blindness to God’s will is the natural result of what you’ve been exposing yourself to through your eyes? If so, confess that and then walk in God’s will by changing your media habits.
Now after you do this, don’t expect immediate clarity in regards to the situation you’re desiring direction on.
God always rewards obedience, but often not immediately and seldom like we think.
Our God isn’t in the immediate gratification business. That’s Satan’s strategy for destroying souls. Not God’s strategy for building up and blessing them. But hey, if you’ve been convicted that God wants you to change your media habits, at least you got something you wanted already. In just one post! You’ve discovered your next step in knowing God’s will.
Walk in it and the next step will be made clear.
Speaking of “next,” the next thing we need to address in seeking God’s will is worry.
In the meantime, let me know if this series is bringing greater understanding of God’ will. Share your thoughts, insights, or questions in the comment section below.
And if you would like more on knowing God’s will when it comes to dating or marriage, check out this LoveEd episode from our series featuring the 3 Key Life Disciplines for Relational Success on our FMUniversity YouTube channel.
Date Night Advice (DNA) series: How to Know God’s Will
Part 3: Want God’s Will? 2 Questions to Ask Yourself
Click here for the next post in the series
DNA: It’s What’s For Dating
Dug this weekend’s DNA? Be a good friend and share with your friends on the social media platform of choice: Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, or Twitter.
The LoveEd discipleship series, Beyond Sex & Salvation, will empower you to prepare for relational success when it counts: BEFORE you fall in love!
It’s NOT for couples, but for any wise individual who thinks they might want to get married sometime before they die. And would like to learn how to better build healthy relationships in the meantime.
Check out all three study guides in our store. You can walk through them on your own, but it’s more fun with friends (that and it kinda makes sense to grow in relational success in actual relationships with others), so consider putting together an FMU LoveEd small group study.
Even better? And ask a rock star married couple you respect to lead it!
