We spend a lot of time these days trying to figure out what God's will for our lives is. Books, sermons, and so on are dedicated to this frustrating quest to discover what God wants for us. It's almost as though the key to being an effective Christian is to know exactly what God wants us to do in the next several decades.
Here's a funny thought. What if God's will... is for us to not know all the plans he has made for our lives? You see, we sometimes act like we're owed an explanation for everything when in reality, God is God and we are not. We're not owed anything - Jesus was a gift. Or look at the prophets and the apostles in the Bible. They weren't given God's entire plan for their lives. It was just one step at a time. Isaiah was told to say something, and he did. Peter was told to do another thing, and he did as well. But at no time did Jesus or God lay out the whole blueprint for the ultimate goal in all its details for them. They acted on faith, not knowing what would lie ahead but trusting God's better judgment anyway.
What if we did that? What if we acknowledged that we didn't know what would happen, because God didn't tell us, but we did it anyway because we understood just how much more smarter than us God truly is.
Oh sure, God will sometimes give people hints about what lie ahead. Jesus hinted to Peter he would be a prominent leader among the early church. He told Paul he would be used to reach out to the Gentiles. I personally have a calling to ministry. But God never laid out a three-point plan with maps and directions to any of them - or me. He just says "This is what I want you to do. Now I am going to lead you, so follow me." So how about, instead of trying to know what God has for us in the future, we just focus on serving him in the present. God is pretty powerful, and he will see to it that we accomplish what he wants of us.
And if you really think about it, God has laid out a couple bits of what his will for our lives is. These are things that apply to everyone. In Matthew 28:19-20 we are called to go into the world and to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God. In Matthew 4:17 we are called by Jesus to repent of our sins. Proverbs 3:5 invites us to trust God, not our own understanding (and boy do I need to hear that!). The list goes on and on.
Just some food for thought. Perhaps we can benefit by being less anxious about what God has for our future, and have peace by serving God in the present.
Here's a funny thought. What if God's will... is for us to not know all the plans he has made for our lives? You see, we sometimes act like we're owed an explanation for everything when in reality, God is God and we are not. We're not owed anything - Jesus was a gift. Or look at the prophets and the apostles in the Bible. They weren't given God's entire plan for their lives. It was just one step at a time. Isaiah was told to say something, and he did. Peter was told to do another thing, and he did as well. But at no time did Jesus or God lay out the whole blueprint for the ultimate goal in all its details for them. They acted on faith, not knowing what would lie ahead but trusting God's better judgment anyway.
What if we did that? What if we acknowledged that we didn't know what would happen, because God didn't tell us, but we did it anyway because we understood just how much more smarter than us God truly is.
Oh sure, God will sometimes give people hints about what lie ahead. Jesus hinted to Peter he would be a prominent leader among the early church. He told Paul he would be used to reach out to the Gentiles. I personally have a calling to ministry. But God never laid out a three-point plan with maps and directions to any of them - or me. He just says "This is what I want you to do. Now I am going to lead you, so follow me." So how about, instead of trying to know what God has for us in the future, we just focus on serving him in the present. God is pretty powerful, and he will see to it that we accomplish what he wants of us.
And if you really think about it, God has laid out a couple bits of what his will for our lives is. These are things that apply to everyone. In Matthew 28:19-20 we are called to go into the world and to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God. In Matthew 4:17 we are called by Jesus to repent of our sins. Proverbs 3:5 invites us to trust God, not our own understanding (and boy do I need to hear that!). The list goes on and on.
Just some food for thought. Perhaps we can benefit by being less anxious about what God has for our future, and have peace by serving God in the present.