I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
(Romans 12:1-2, New King James Version)
In the classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” the characters were seeking something from the Wizard in order to accomplish their individual goals.
The Tin Man was in desperate need of a heart, the Scarecrow was in need of a brain. The Lion needed courage and Dorothy desired to make it home. Through much difficulty and setbacks, the group would discover that what they thought they were lacking, they already had, if they would only believe.
Such is the Christian life; God has equipped the believer with his word, his wisdom and his will, if we would only believe. We as Christians must travel a spiritual journey in order to find out God’s will. This entails a day-by-day walk with God on his terms in order to fulfill his will for our lives.
The first thing to consider is to answer the question; “what is God’s will?”
God’s will is an expression or inclination of pleasure towards what pleases and creates joy. Simply put, we were created to fulfill God’s will by pleasing him.
Herein lies the problem; Christians misinterpret God’s will because we fail to understand the factors. The first factor to consider is; God’s will is not always pleasant. In other words, God’s will sometimes calls for the believer to be placed in unpleasant situations. For example, we are commanded to love our enemies, leave our mother and fathers and lay down our life for the sake of Christ. This refutes the easy belief theories that God’s will includes the concept of Christians always being happy and on the mountaintop.
Secondly, God’s will is not a free pass. Some of us are of the mindset that all we need to do is to come to church and we are operating under God’s will. Coming to church is just a portion of God’s will. The Bible clearly teaches us that operating under God’s will is when we obey his word after we leave church.
Lastly, God’s will is always pleasing to him. Paul says it best when he says; “All things work together for good that love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” Notice something here; it is for the good, not always good to us!
Still not convinced, lets’ consider the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross. Despite all of the pain and misery that occurred on that day, the Bible said that it pleased God to see his Son suffer. Jesus died for us, are we willing to live for him according to his will?
Pastor Richard L. Curry, Jr. is senior pastor of True Tried Missionary Baptist Church, 506 W 26th St. He can be reached at (317) 925-0566.
