Given that I make dozens, if not hundreds, or even thousands of decisions every day, how am I supposed to know what God wants me to do in every case? Does God care what I eat for breakfast, what I wear to work, which route I drive? Does it matter if I mow the yard today, or tomorrow? Does God have an opinion about what time I should go to bed, or what time I need to get up? Does the mundane matter to God?
If so, how am I supposed to know?
And if He cares, how am I supposed to know what He wants?
Some things are simple.
God wants us to honor Him and His Word. Marriage is sacred. Lying is wrong. Anger must be controlled. Do not steal. Do not murder. The big issues are fairly straight forward.
But what about the rest of our lives? What about that job decision? What about that house we might buy? Should we get a dog? A new car? That outfit? Sure, some of these are bigger than others, but none of them are spelled out in the Bible. Of course, the answer to each question depends on the circumstances surrounding them, but all else being equal, does God really care?
Of course He does. He tracks each hair on our head. He cares about everything we do, say, and are. No part of our lives escapes His attention, so everything matters. We are to do everything as though doing it for the Lord.
So I repeat: How am I supposed to know what God wants?
I have to get my head in the right place.
In Romans 12:2-3, Paul says it like this: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Paul says that in order to know what God wants, you have to get your head on straight. Stop thinking like the world thinks--stop being conformed to the pattern of this world--and instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In other words, don't think like the world; think like Christ.
How? What does that mean? It means passing everything--and I mean everything--through the filters of God's word, Christ's Gospel, and the influence of the Holy Spirit within you. A mind renewed is one focused on God, not on ourselves or the world around us.
To do that, you have to spend a lot of time with God. Going to church on Sunday is just one step. That's not enough. You have to read His word. Pray. Think about God. Talk to God. Listen to God. Every. Single. Day.
Then you'll know.
That's what Paul says. If you do not conform to the pattern of this world, but are rather transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will know what God's will is, what He wants. The answer may not come like a bolt of lightning, but it will come. When it does, do it, even if it's not the answer you wanted.
God will tell us what He wants. It's up to us to do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment