What Is the Will of God?
Last year, one of the few books I read cover-to-cover was John Stott’s Your Mind Matters. One passage that I particularly enjoyed dealt with the will of God. It seems that in my young, Christian life, I hear plenty of Christians asking what the will of God is for their life. Should I take this job? Should I buy this car? Where should I live? Where should I go to church? Stott says:
But how do we discover the will of God? Some Christians claim rather glibly “the Lord told me to do this” or “the Lord called me to do that,” as if they had a hot line to heaven and were in direct and continuous telephonic communication with God. I find it hard to believe them. Others think they get detailed guidance from God through the most fanciful interpretations of Scripture passages which murder the natural sense, violate the context and have no basis in either sound exegesis or common sense.
Stott breaks down the will of God into two types:
- General will - God’s will “for all his people in general at all times.” This part of God’s will has been revealed through the Bible. He says we need to “study, to discuss and to pray.”
- Particular will - God’s will “for particular people at particular times.” This part of God’s will might be different for different Christians. Stott uses the example of marriage. Scripture tells us marriage is good, but being single is also good. The Bible will tell Christians to only marry Christians. It will tell you the qualities to look for in a partner. It will tell you sex is reserved for marriage. But, it will not tell you “whether your wife is to be Jane or June or Joan or Janet!”
So how do we discover God’s will in tough situations? Simple. Pray, seek the counsel of your parents, pastor and other Christian friends, and study the Bible. Finally, use “the common sense which God has given you.” He says, “you must make up your mind, trusting that God will guide you through your own mental processes.” I’ve also heard it said that God doesn’t care what kind of car you drive, who you date, or where you work. He does care that you make those decisions based on His Word and a relationship with Him. If you factor these things into the equation, chances are, you will make a good choice.
This is but a sample from a great, short book that I highly recommend.
