I get that phone call, that text, or that email just about every day.
“What does God want me to do?”
It isn’t always asked that way exactly, of course… Sometimes it has to do with who to date, what job to take, which home to buy, how to keep the marriage together, how to deal with children, or some critical life decision. We know that God wants something specific, that he has a plan for our lives. The problem just seems to be that he doesn’t have it all mapped out for us, right?
What God Doesn’t Want
In a general sense, we can know what God doesn’t want for each of us. We know he doesn’t want chaos, confusion, pain, heartache, suffering, or hell for you. He never has that in his plan for any of us, and he doesn’t send that stuff our way. YET, we all have those things to one degree or another in our lives, don’t we?
Sin Brings That
God didn’t create sin. He literally gave us the world, but we made a deal with the devil and rebelled against God, introducing sin into our reality. All chaos, pain, suffering comes from sin. Sin is the brokenness that this world is saturated in. It surrounds us in our culture, and it is hard-wired in us by our own DNA. In this world, we will just have to deal with sin. It is crippling brokenness. Separation. Death.
What He DOES Want
God wants you to experience love, acceptance, and fulfillment. He wants you to experience joy and peace more than you could ever imagine. He wants you to be free from the baggage of sin. He wants you to know him, to hear his voice, and to have a deep, abiding relationship with him.
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
–Jesus, John 10:10
So Why Are We Still So Stuck?
Why do we still experience the results of sin in our lives, and why can’t we hear his voice? Why do we still struggle with knowing what he wants? It’s because we are still caught up by sin. Like a teenager texting while driving, we are distracted by all the things of this world, and don’t realize how far we have already driven off the road. God has a plan for us, and he has given us a clear road to be on, we believers just tend to be distracted, and not fully engaged in the journey he has us on.
The good news is that God knew we would struggle with this, so he gave us three powerful things that help us know him, and understand His will for our lives.
1. He gave us His Son to rescue us.
Jesus’ whole purpose was to rescue us from the power of sin. Because of Jesus, we no longer have to operate in this world’s broken system. Jesus’ sacrifice brings forgiveness, freedom, and opens the door to a relationship with The Father. In fact, His Son is the only way to have any relationship with God. You will never know His will or His plan for your life without knowing His Son.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” -John 14:6-7
Do you have a relationship with God through His Son?
2. He gave us His Word to speak to us.
The Word of God isn’t some set of rules that we have to obey to get on God’s good side… It is a passionate love letter, written to clearly map out His deep desire for our lives. It provides a clear path to knowing Him more, to hearing His voice, and to knowing how to live a life free of regrets, heartache, and pain.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17
Do you spend time in His Word? He speaks clearly through it.
3. He gave us Prayer to commune with us
Prayer is the way we enter into the very throne room of God! It is a two-way means of deep communication by which we can speak to Him and He speaks to us.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
4. He gave us His Spirit to empower us.
We simply don’t have the strength to live the life He calls us to on our own. God loved us so much that he has given us His Holy Spirit to give us strength, understanding, and power.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. -John 14:6
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. -Romans 8:26-27
Are you aware of the Holy Spirit’s work in your life? Do you experience His filling and power?
Let’s cultivate these things in our lives! I am starting a new message series this Sunday called “What If?” In it, we will explore what God could do in someone’s life if they would cultivate prayer in their lives. It will go a long way to helping you know what God really wants in your life. I hope you’ll join me at The Orchard Church at 9:30AM or 11:00AM this weekend and begin to become a person of prayer. More details on our church website.