This Is God's Will For me...or Is It?

"If you want to know what God wants you to do-ask Him, and he will gladly tell you." - James 1:5

Have you ever wondered why a particular situation was not going according to your plan? Have you ever wondered why your goals have not yet been met? Perhaps it is because your plan is not God's plan. Perhaps your goals are not in line with God's goals for your life. Maybe you are trying to force things to work out when perhaps they should not. So how do we know when our will is one in the same with God's?

This was one of the questions that we discussed at last week's Bible study session. And, it is something with which I often struggle. I get on a good run in life and suddenly find I have left out one very important factor--GOD!

There are many good things that we could do in life, but not all of them are God's will for us. My challenge in this is figuring out which of those things are in God's plans for me and which ones are not. I have had to re-evaluate my priorities. I have had to take my decisions to God. I have also discovered that I have often been out of line--out of line with God's will for me. So I am working on being in line with God's will for me.

The Scriptures tell me that God's will is perfect not necessarily Sarah's will. God has already made plans for my life. The Bible also offers advice as to how to "figure it all out". There are many avenues to travel in order to seek advice in discerning God's will for our lives.

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22). God places people in our lives who could offer us clarity when the way becomes foggy. We really should take advantage of that. you know, two heads are better than one!

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). Sometimes it's a matter of renewing my mind, of getting it out of my head that it has to be just so. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I get something in my mind, I will fight to make it come to be. I will rationalize decisions, rearrange priorities all to try make something happen that maybe should not. Often, if I quit fighting the situations and "renew" my mind, I can see more clearly. The decision becomes easier and the path more in line with God's will for me.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). This is my greatest challenge in aligning my will with God's...not being anxious!

But, I have found that in the simple but very important act of prayer, so many of the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the road map becomes clear. In bringing my plans to God in prayer, I have an opportunity to renew my mind. And in doing this, I am able to think with God at the center of the plan. This sometimes opens the door for me to be open to advice from trusted individuals. and that often gives me another stance on the whole situation.

Have you ever been struggling with a decision and suddenly felt very uneasy about the choice you made? Have you ever been struggling with a decision and then felt a calm peace wash over you? I have experienced both, and I feel that in both God was trying to communicate with me. I call those gut feelings my "God-feelings". Those gentle nudges and prods we feel in our hearts is the Holy Spirit trying to guide us. But, we have to be willing to follow.

For me, once I have been willing to meet my Savior in prayer and openly as His advice and heed it, my will becomes aligned with His. And once my will becomes the same as His, He grants me an awesome gift--PEACE. It doesn't mean that the will of God is a free ride. I still have to work; I still have to try; and sometimes I even struggle. But...the peace comes in knowing that I have meshed my will with God's; they are the same. I am living out God's will for my life and thus glorifying Him.