Obedience is the fuel that puts God's will into action (discovery)
In this short writing we will mull over God's will. Not what it is, but rather, how we discover it and how we don't. The title of this reflection was taken from an article I read somewhere on the net a while ago. This is my rambling and there's not much biblical backing. I'm just trying to express myself and stir your thinking.I guess I am primarily writing this because I want to clear up my thoughts and opinions on this. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Primarily because I have been failing at it.
Let's step back to 2 weeks before Jesus Expo. I felt a tug. It felt like God wanted me to take 2 weeks off work for preparation. Specifically for prayer and meditation. At that time I thought to myself, "Is this God pushing me? Or is it in my head?" So I ended up taking one week off. Prayed some, but spend much of my time doing the physical preparations of building and such. After Jesus Expo passed, I fully realized that God wanted me to take the full 2 weeks off. I felt guilty, like I had sinned, by only taking off one week.
Does this ever happen to you? I'm not talking about God telling you not to sin. I am talking about an instance where you are not sure if you should do something or not, an instance where you are not sure if God is pushing you to do it or it's just "in your head". But then after the fact you realize you screwed up by not acting.
I have become very aware, as of late, of my sins of omission because after the fact, something terrible happens and if I had just acted, all would have been good. I have done, or rather, not done about 4 specific things that could have prevented avoidable, adverse consequences on other leaders. During the prompting, I always wonder if God is pushing me, and it never seems like a big deal to not act. But after the fact, there is damage, and then there is guilt and regret. Not because of me, but preventable by me.
So I am trying to fix my behavior! Let me know if this makes sense. Each time I go through this cycle of prompting, not acting, and then guilt, I try to remember what the prompting felt like. I think I am really starting to be able to recognize the prompting. When I feel it, I will try to act immediately. Hopefully it's in God's will. And even if it isn't, atleast then, there won't be regrets or guilt. Whether this is what they call, "learning God's voice" or if it's just covering my own back, this is the adventure I am currently on.
This last spell of analysis ofcourse branched off another discussion I had with myself about finding God's will. I read an article a while back and it stated some things like God will not reveal His will for you until you are ready to hear it. The analogy they used was telling a kid he will be majoring in Social Sciences when he is 5 years old. It doesn't do a lot of good. You must be mature enough to understand it. Are you ready to hear it?
Then I thought you can ask the same question but ask it differently. Are you ready to hear it? Or will you just refuse it? This is like asking someone to join the army, when they are studying for an exam. What's the point in asking if they are just going to refuse right away. This is where obedience comes in. If you obey God no matter what, you will be always ready. Easier said than done ofcourse. He knows your heart and knows how you will react. Everyone claims that if God wanted them to do missions right now, they would. Let's say you get a clear push from God to drop everything and go to Africa for 10 years. Would you? Leave everything behind, sell all your stuff, say goodbye to all your family and friends, bf, gf, career? Why would he bother asking you if he knows you won't. And if you would, then maybe he will ask :) If you are only willing to serve in the church, then maybe he will only reveal his will for you in the church. If you want to discover the fullest of His will, you must surrender completely and sincerely to His sovereign will.
This ofcourse is an impossibility to do with a single thought. It will take time and steps to get there. The more you surrender, the more He'll reveal. But obedience is the fuel that puts God's will into action. The 2nd example they used was, trying to turn a car when it's not moving. You can't steer it until it starts moving forward. As you obey, and trust, he will lead you. If you don't obey or trust, you will just drive yourself around in circles. But before you go and dump your gf and move to Africa, don't forget to test it. Does it bring fruit? Is it biblical? Does it sit well on your conscience? What do other Christian brother's and sisters think? But ultimately still, what does God want?
Lastly, I have come to the conclusion that God's will is like his omnipresence. He is always with us. We just don't see him when our backs are turned away. I think that truly, God is revealing his will for us everyday. But are we aware of what he's saying? Do we recognize his voice? Or are we too busy to even try to listen. We keep praying, "God, reveal your will in my life..." and He is saying, "I am telling you, why aren't you listening?" If only there were podcasts straight from heaven.
All of this is just my opinion. You don't need to argue with me. Just mull it over.