If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life,
is not from the Father, but is from the world.
The world is passing away, and also its lusts;
but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ,
keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set you mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
1 John 2:15-17 and Colossians 3:1-2
So the question is “How?” How do we set our minds on
the things of God and not on the things of this earth when needs have to be
met, careers have to be worked out, children have to be raised, etc… the
key is in 1 John 2:17 – “…but the one who does the will of God lives
forever.” So what is the will of God and how do I discern it?
First, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us and illuminate the
Scriptures for us. Then we spend time studying the Word of God, seeking
for His moral will. God’s will can be broken down into two
categories. God’s moral will and God’s individual will. The moral
will is universal and laid down in Scripture for us all. The individual
will is the plan and purpose that God has for each of our lives individually.
Jesus tells us in John that when we follow His commandments
(moral will) then we will find joy. He goes on to explain that we must
abide in the word, in Him, and in God in order to follow those
commandments. In other words, He knows that we cannot be perfect and that
we can only follow the commands through the power given to us by the Holy
Spirit. We tap into that power through the relationship with God.
As we walk in the moral will of God, seek a relationship with God through
prayer and praise, then God leads us to His individual will for our
lives. He usually does this one step at a time. I love lists.
I wish God would just write it down, hand it to me and let me check off
the boxes. But lists do not require a relationship! I must walk
closely with God to discern His will for me.
Sometimes, God has hit me over the head with a two-by-four
(not literally), by someone speaking or by something I am reading. These
times stand out as real life changers. One Christmas, as I was wrestling
with my relationship with God as my Father and what that looked like, I was
sent to my knees in praise and adoration through the song, “Little Drummer Boy”
while at a Christmas program. Another time, God led me to accept His
direction of moving to another state through a book that I was reading.
Still other times, I clearly heard God’s voice in my heart telling me to let
something go and to trust Him. He often uses Scripture that I have
memorized to remind me of His sufficiency and to lead me to an action. “Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
When we are abiding with Christ and studying His word, then
God can speak to us, and we can know the direction that He is leading. If
it is still unclear, we have learned to keep doing what we are doing until we
know that God is calling us to change direction. My husband gives the
illustration that it is easier to change direction of a moving vehicle than the
direction of one sitting still. So, we keep moving, doing what we feel
God has called us to and knowing that He is able to get our attention and lead
us in a different direction at His bidding. Think of Abraham, Joseph,
Paul, and others. They were not on their knees begging for God to reveal
His will. No, they were living life the best they knew how (even
Paul/Saul was killing Christians thinking that he was pleasing God.) God
was able to get their attention when He had a purpose for them to change
direction. So, live according to the moral word of God (confessing and
accepting total forgiveness when you mess up). Seek a right relationship
with God – be growing and becoming holy before God, and He will let you know
what He wants you to do.
It is easy to look at the world, and other people, and to
desire what is of this world, but God says to seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness and He will provide all that you need. This has been so
true for us throughout our lives. My husband and I just celebrated our 29th
anniversary. We spent time remembering God’s awesome guidance in our
lives; the growth in areas of relationship with God; our growth in the fruit of
the Spirit; and the wonderful adventures that we have had following Him.
Success for the Christian is not a big house, money,
greatness, or fame, but rather success for a Christian is obedience to the will
of God both morally and individually. And in obedience is joy and peace
and hope.
