9 Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; 10 that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10, ERV)
Following God’s Will should
not create anxiety in our lives. The Bible
talks about God’s will in three different ways:
·
God’s sovereign Will, which
is often unknown
·
God’s moral/revealed Will,
which is found in scripture
·
God’s shepherding Will,
which gives us freedom to choose when we seek God’s wisdom
God’s sovereign Will is usually unknown so it
is more important for us to focus on God’s moral/revealed Will, which is found
in the Bible. We are expected to
learn and obey God’s moral/revealed Will by faithfully studying the scriptures,
and by seeking to obey what God expects us to do.
Do your best to be
the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who
has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in
the right way.
(2 Timothy
2:15, ERV)
God’s moral/revealed Will for your life is
that you should learn from Him, follow Him, and live in obedience to His Word,
and seek to be holy in all you do. This would include being kind and
compassionate, showing mercy to others, being gentle in your words, and always
doing what is right.
Your word
is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light
that shows the path I should take. (Psalm 119:105, ERV)How do we discern God’s Will when we have choices or decisions to make that aren’t obvious? When we have options that appear to be good (because they don’t contradict God’s moral/revealed Will), we operating under God’s shepherding Will. God’s shepherding Will calls for wisdom.
Do any of you need
wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he
will give you wisdom.
(James 1:5,
ERV)
If we put our trust and faith
in God, and include Him in our decision making process (by acknowledging Him
and praying for wisdom), He’ll make our paths go the right way.
5 Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on
your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about
what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ERV)
“Being a Christian is less about cautiously
avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will.” (Eric Metaxas)[i]
[i] Inspired by the sermon “Living by Design: Direction by
Design” (Installment two), Sunday May 5, 2019, Elder
Ryan Edwards, CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2019
I love you Mom. Thanks for being such an important part of my life. Kim and I will always need you.
 |
| My mother, Janice Zarbaugh |
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