Decisions constantly have to be made.  What career?  Who to marry?  Go into ministry?  Preach… Education… Missions?  What major course of study in college?  Buy this car or that one?  Click here for a previous post on this topic.  Today’s post is a follow up to that one…

God’s will for our life is more something He does than something He reveals.

At the same time, we are to be discerning and wise in our decisions.  But if you think through that, hardly any of the decisions we make are NOT directly addressed in Scripture!  There’s not a verse that names the person we’re to marry nor a verse to name the career to choose or whether to enter ministry as a pastor or missionary.

So what is the Christian to do? Become a person who makes wise decisions… who walks with God… who has an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Ask God to make you a person who is filled with His wisdom.  Then the believer will be a person who makes wise decisions.  There is a way to do this, but first consider this hypothetical interchange…

Congregant: “Pastor, I think God is calling me into the ministry.”  Pastor: “Really?  How do you know this?” Congregant: “I feel it.” Pastor: “Really?  Why do you feel that way?”  Congregant: “I don’t know.  I just do.  I think it is the Holy Spirit’s leading.”

Pastor: “Are consistently attending church?”  Congregant: “No.”  Pastor: “Then you must be regularly reading and reflecting on Scripture?”  Congregant: “Uh, no.”  Pastor: “Oh, then you must have a phenomenal prayer life.”  Congregant: “No, I don’t pray too much.”  Pastor: “How can you possibly know God’s plan for your life when you have cut off all means of communication with God?”

Discerning God’s will is not putting your finger to the wind or reading tea leaves in the bottom of a cup or going on your feelings.  Instead Christians put themselves in positions and do things that make them wise, Christ-like, and mature them in the faith.  The point of doing those things isn’t to hear from God to help us make decisions, but to know God intimately so as to be the kind of person who makes wise decisions.  There is a difference.

Do you have decisions to make?  Worship God regularly with a congregation of believers.  Constantly read the Bible.  Make prayer a regular part of your life.  Those are your lines of communication with God.  Cut any one of them and you will be hindered in life.  THEN you will become the kind of person who makes wise decisions… after all… God’s will is something He does rather than something he reveals.  Kind of sounds like Matthew 6:33 doesn’t it?

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.