God’s will and your willingness

Christians can spend a lifetime wondering about the will of God. Conferences, fasting, pleading with him in prayer and asking everyone who offers to pray that it will be revealed. Some believers are expecting a massive wiz-bang moment where everything is made clear while others just want a little glimpse so they can move forward.

Most of the time when the question arises, it usually has to do with the same things..

• Career and vocation. What direction should I go in and when?
• Will I be single for the rest of my life or should I marry this person?
• What Christian community should I commit to?
• What ministry should I invest my time in?

While all of the above are pretty important things,  I have found from my own Christian journey and have observed others on theirs, that we can get so focused on Gods will for us in the bigger picture things, that we can often neglect Gods will for us in the smaller picture things. (Like the day to day stuff if that makes sense).

The small day to day acts of obedience will often lead to the bigger picture being revealed.

Maybe it’s time we start asking some different questions? To often we can forget that God wants our lives, it’s our hearts that need to change, but instead we are out trying to save the world while our personal lives are being un-renewed.

God what is your will..

1. In my prayer life. Is there anyone I should be praying for instead of always praying for myself
2. Is there a fruit of the spirit that needs to be more visible in my life?
3. What specifically is getting in the way of me being more like Christ?

The above questions are the type of things that that I reckon that get neglected, and not often even thought of as God’s will for our lives.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God has not left us in the dark when it comes to his will for us. I get it, we all want to know the big stuff, but his will for us in the mundane day to day is just as important. I know Christians who when asked what they are thankful for, their reply is often silence and then a shrug. They struggle to be joyful, thankful and rarely pray prayers outside of “Lord help me survive this day”. This really has to change.

1. Being joyful has nothing to do whether things are going our way, but more to do with who is the way, what he has done and what sanctification continues to do in our lives.
2. Never stop praying doesn’t mean you should stop everything else and only pray. Its more about being consistent and not giving up talking to God about the important things. Sometimes that may mean asking God what he wants us to pray for.
3. In all circumstances be thankful. We need to make this a habit as its a great reminder of God’s faithfulness. There is one thing worse than a person who never has anything to be thankful for, and that’s a Christian who cannot for the life of them bring to mind anything that they can give thanks for.

Gods will is often revealed in our obedience, especially in simple stuff like being joyful, giving thanks In all circumstances and praying regularly. If we are not willing to engage with those things daily with confidence and eagerness,  then how can we expect God to trust us with the “bigger picture stuff”?

Out of those 3 things mentioned in the above scripture, what do you struggle with the most? I find that when I am sick, whether it be a man-flu or something more serious, all 3 get a bit neglected. Will you join me in being obedient to Gods will in the simple day to day stuff?

Thanks for reading. If you have found anything helpful from this post please leave a comment or share it with someone who you think will benefit.